Silver
by lightning027
Summary: When Shiori Obata moved to Karakura, she never expected to gain strange powers. She never expected to use said powers to punch her classmate Ichigo Kurosaki through concrete. Or to meet a strange man who claims he can help her control this power.  OC.  Centered around Ichigo's group.  Pairings to be determined.
1. vol 1  You're Gonna Go Far, Kid

**Silver – Volume 1: You're Gonna Go Far, Kid**

**(A/N - **Hello readers! And welcome to my first Bleach story! I hope it turns out OK, Bleach is kinda hard to write for. But I have big plans for my character! This is gonna be one of those stories that's about how the character grows from experience, so if you don't like that, LEAVE!

Also, I'm not finished with the Bleach series yet (it's so freaken long!), so I'm not sure who my OC is gonna end up with. Also, I kinda hate my OC. Yeah, probably because I hate the kind of people that can't stand up for themselves. But, like I said, she develops throughout the story, so I hope she becomes tolerable.

The format of this series if going to be in "volumes" instead of chapters. In each volume there's gonna be two or three chapters. And I think that the Bleach chapters sound like song titles so each of the chapters will be a song title. I tried to make this sorta like a manga . . . I probably failed epically.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. Which is probably a good thing for those characters.

I don't own the songs "What the Hell" by Avril Lavigne, "You're Gonna Go Far, Kid" by The Offspring, or "Get Up!" by Korn.)

**Chapter 1: What the Hell**

"GINA!"

"Oh, God, what did I do now?" I set the last stuffed animal on my bed and ran down the stairs of my brand new house. My parents had decided to move after my aunt, Tsubaki Obata died. We had lived with her and her husband, my dad's brother, Ronin. After she had died, Ronin had moved out and we just couldn't stand to live there anymore. There were too many memories in that house.

So we moved here.

"What is it? And how many times have I told you not to call me Gina!" I scowled at my parents, Mine and Raidon Obata, who were laying down tarps in the living room, getting ready to paint.

"We need you to get some more paint. We kinda bought the wrong color . . ." My mom replied sheepishly, holding up a can of puke green paint. Dad shrugged.

I sighed. "You guys aren't good for anything . . ."

"Hey, without us, you wouldn't be here, just remember that!" Dad countered, sticking a paint brush in my face. I recoiled with a strange expression.

"I think I saw a home improvement store around the corner. Just pick us up some tan paint, m'kay?" Mom asked, putting another tarp over the sofa.

"OK. But wouldn't it have made more sense to paint before you brought all the furniture in?"

"Oooooh," my parents said simultaneously. I rolled my eyes and walked out the front door, grabbing a light jacket from a box that had yet to be unpacked.

"Hmmm, a home improvement store. Well, we drove in this way . . ." I talked to myself as I turned left and walked down the street. I saw a few other kids along the way, although they were younger than me. I finally reached a store that looked promising.

"Maybe this is it?" I was reluctant to walk through the door. Yeah, I probably shouldn't have walked through that door.

"HEY! I am _so_ cooler than you!" a boy yelled, giving a sad looking girl a noogie.

"Hey, stop!" the girl said half-heartedly as he abused her hair.

"KIDS! We have a customer!" A large man yelled, trying to separate them.

I stared wide eyed at the scene. There people were nut jobs. Who has kids running around a home improvement store anyway? Before I could run screaming into the street, the man got the kids to stop fighting, and asked if I needed any help.

"Oh, yeah. I need some paint. You sell improvement supplies here right?" I asked.

"Oh, she needs 'paint'" the boy said, making air quotes around the word "paint".

"OK, I'll tell the boss you need 'paint'" the big man said, and walked into a back room before I could ask what the air quotes were for. While I waited for "the boss" the kids started fighting again. Well, this is pleasant.

"HEY!" A man walked out of the back room with the huge guy, wearing a striped hat and some very interesting clothes. I raised an eyebrow.

"So who needed the 'paint'?" he asked, finally locating me through the cloud of dust the kids had kicked up.

"Oh, you there! Well, you're not that high in spirit energy are you? What, eighteenth, nineteenth seat? Do you even have enough points to buy this?" he asked, holding up what looked like a can of spray paint.

I was feeling very nervous. What the hell was this hat guy talking about? How dare he criticize my spirit energy! What the hell is spirit energy? I'm leaving.

"I think I might be in the wrong place . . ." I muttered, moving towards the door. But the hat guy was there in an instant, and wrapped an arm around me.

"Nonsense! You're in the right place! I mean, no one but a Soul Reaper could keep their spirit energy under control like you; that must have taken years to master! Here, let me show you some of our stock . . ." he dragged me over to some shelves. But I was freaking out. Why the hell is he touching me? I was three seconds away from yelling "RAPE!" and smacking him with the nearest item. Either that or calling a mental institution. I was pretty sure that Gods of Death didn't exist. Right?

"Um . . . I'm not comfortable buying stuff from insane people . . . bye!" I tried to slip from the man's grip, but he tightened it, almost to the point of pain.

"Wait . . . you don't know what a Soul Reaper is?" I shook my head.

"Or what this store sells" Another head shake.

"Or how well your spirit energy is controlled?"

"I don't even know what spirit energy _is_, buddy," I replied.

"Well that sucks, I would have trained you to be the most epic Soul Reaper _ever_," the hat man stated dramatically. I rolled my eyes. Yeah, you just wanna lock me in some room and rape me or kill me or something, ya idiotic rapist/murderer.

"Yeah, you sure would have. You would have also made midgets fly and created rainbow crapping unicorns!" I said sarcastically, trying to get out of this man's death grip. If he held onto me for much longer, I was gonna have to go karate on his ass.

"You don't believe me, do you?" he asked. I shook my head.

"How about I show you?" OK, that's way over my perv meter. I whacked the guy in the hat/face and stomped on his foot, releasing myself from his grip. I ran to the door, but the kids tackled me. God dammit , I can't fight kids.

"Now, how about a training session?" the pervy hat guy asked, crouching down to look at me while I was being held down by the kids. I blew a piece of hair out of my face with an indignant expression.

"YAY! Let's go!" he said excitedly as the big man grabbed me roughly and led me to the back of the store. I definitely couldn't get out of his grip. I just hope that the hat dude was just insane and not a rapist . . .

"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself! I'm Kitsuke Urahara. The kids are Ururu and Jinta and this is Tessai."

The big man, Tessai, nodded. I knew he expected me to say my name, but I sure as hell wasn't gonna talk to this creeper.

They led me through a few doors and down a flight of steps. I memorized the path so that I could make a quick escape. But then something kinda weird happened. The floor started to give way underneath of me.

"GAH!" I yelled, trying to run away, but forgetting Tessai was still holding me.

"Relax, that's just the elevator thingy," hat guy said. For some strange reason he reminded me of Willy Wonka in that one American movie.

"Elevator _thingy_?" I asked, and then I noticed there were no walls, and that I was being lowered into a large cavernous space.

"What the hell . . .?"

"Yup, this is our training area," Kisuke Urahara stated, jumping off the elevator before we could get to the bottom. Then the kids and Tessai got off, dragging me along with them.

"So, do you want to know what a Soul Reaper is?" Urahara asked, walking away from me.

"No."

"Do you want me to show you what one is?"

"No."

"Do you want a cookie?"

"What the hell?" I yelled. This guy is insane! Get me out of here! Call the freaky elevator back! Tessai had let go of me, so now I could do what I wanted. I paced back and forth, shaking my head.

Urahara sighed and . . . wait is that a SWORD!

"GAH!" I yelled again, running and hiding behind a rock.

"Relax, I'm not gonna hurt you! This is a Soul Reaper sword, a Zanpaku Tô. Soul Reapers use them to cleanse souls and send them to the Soul Society, what most would call heaven," Urahara stated, holding the sword so that it caught the light.

He may be insane, but I have to admit, his "Soul Reaper" fantasy is very well thought out. And violent, apparently.

I peeked out from behind the rock, but said nothing. Urahara just kept on talking.

"Each Zanpaku Tô is actually a spirit with special capabilities. My sword is called Red Princess, and one of her capabilities is a blood red blast of energy," hat guy looked at his sword lovingly as he explained this.

I couldn't stay silent any longer. "Oh yeah? Prove it."

Urahara smiled.

"Gladly."

**Chapter 2: You're Gonna Go Far, Kid**

I gulped.

"Scream, Red Princess!" Urahara yelled, slashing the sword. A huge blast of red energy soared through the air and slammed into the wall at the other end of the cavern. I was amazed.

What the fuck just happened? Swords can't do that! Does that mean . . . .

HE WAS TELLING THE TRUTH!

After the dust and debris subsided from that epic blast, Urahara stood there with a smile that said "do you believe me now?"

Oh, fuck you, pervert.

I walked out from behind the rock and walked up to Urahara.

"So you're not a rapist/murderer/mental patient?" I asked.

"No, just two out of three," he answered. "So, do you wanna be a Soul Reaper or not?"

"That depends . . . which two?"

Urahara just smiled and started walking towards the middle of the room, or cavern, whatever. I followed him, wondering what else Soul Reapers can do. If I can blast things with a freaken sword, no one will ever mess with me again! I would never have to deal with the teasing or name calling ever again. God, that would be nice . . .

Hat guy sat down cross-legged, sword already sheathed. I frowned a bit, but sat down across from him. The kids and Tessai were at the other end of the cavern, Tessai being the ref for their game of ninja.

"So, before we begin your training, I need to know a few things. What's your name?"

"Gi – Shiori Obata," I stuttered. Damn parents, I almost said Gina.

"You sure that's your name?" Urahara asked. I sighed. God I hated when I had to explain this.

"OK, here's the deal. My name is Shiori Obata but my parents and the kids at school call me Gina, and I absolutely hate it. Stupid genetics . . ." I muttered, rolling my eyes. If only my Grandma's gene hadn't been passed on, I would have been normal. But no . . .

"Why do they call you Gina?"

I made an annoyed noise. "Because of my hair." I really didn't want to talk about it.

"But . . . your hair is black, not silver. Oh, I get it, you dye your hair," Urahara realized. I nodded. "Personally I like Gina better than Shiori. I mean if it's a choice between 'silvery' and 'bookmark' . . ."

I frowned. He doesn't know what he's talking about. My hair is a curse.

"I hate the name Gina. It started out fun, because my parents liked my hair and I used to like it too. My friends and teachers called me Gina too. But then in sixth grade all hell broke loose. I got better grades than all my friends, so I guess they were jealous. They started teasing me about my looks and my hair, they would pull it and call me Gina as if it were a taunt. And then everybody started to make fun of me. I tried to shrug it off and say that they were just kidding, they were my friends, just fooling around. But I knew they were hurting me.

"But I couldn't stop it. I didn't want to hurt them. Even though I knew karate and could kick their asses if I wanted to. But I still thought they were my friends, so I didn't hurt them."

"Ah, I see," Urahara said, nodding. "Bullies can be tough. Especially if it's like that. When you told them you saw ghosts did they tease you too?"

I nodded, then raised my eyebrows.

"How did you know I've seen ghosts?" I asked. Freaky.

"Your spirit levels are very high for a human, even if they are low for a Soul Reaper. Most humans with spiritual power can see ghosts," he explained.

"They used to freak me out. But I would try to help them. That is, until I told my friends. Then that added another thing to their list of ways to bully me," I hung my head. I hated talking about that time in my life. It made me feel so weak and helpless.

"Can you still see ghosts?" Urahara asked. I shook my head.

"It was weird, as I started to wish I couldn't see them, they started to go away. It's at the point where I can barely see them at all now," I replied.

"Ah, now I know why you're so good at controlling your spirit energy. Your friends started teasing you, so you resolved each problem. Because they teased you about your hair, you dyed it. Because they teased you about your spiritual capabilities, you learned to lock them away."

"Really?" I asked. "But how could I do that? Didn't you say it takes years of practice?"

"How long have you been teased?" he asked.

"Since sixth grade . . . three years ago," I muttered.

"Usually it takes about four years to master this technique, but because of your determination you were able to do it just a little bit faster. And you _are _really good at locking your energy away."

"Well, I guess I'm just really good at getting caught up in peer pressure," I murmured.

"Hey, maybe peer pressure is good for some things! I can see your spirit pressure, and it's amazing how you lock it up. You see, spiritual energy is like a gas," Urahara explained, gesturing to the air around him.

"And a powerful human, or a Soul Reaper, is like a sphere that encases the gas." He cupped his hands around the air. "Most people have enough control over it to stop most of it from getting away. It's like they're cupping it in their hands. Some of it leaks through, but most is controlled and can be used for sensing ghosts or sending souls to the Soul Society. I call this the hand effect.

"Then there are those people that can't control their energy. Either that or they have so much they can't contain it. A few high energy captains are like this. They don't incase their spiritual energy, they let it all flow free. But they do have enough control to keep the energy near them. I call this type of energy manipulation the magnetic effect.

"And then there's you. I've never seen a case like yours. It's like you've encased your spirit energy in steel, none of it leaking out or growing in size. It's kind of amazing, actually. That's why I like you. You may not have the highest level of spirit energy, but you know how to control it. That's why I think you could be the greatest Soul Reaper of this time," Urahara finished, looking at me.

"So wadda ya say? Do you wanna be a Soul Reaper?"

"Hell yeah!" I yelled, pumping a fist in the air. I wanted to learn how to wield a sword and use my spiritual energy. I could help ghosts, and feel good about myself. Hell, I would be so badass no one would even care about my hair.

"Hmm, so how should we do this," Urahara contemplated, getting up and pacing.

"What do you mean? I've got spirit energy, can't I just . . . use it?" I asked. Urahara looked at me for a few minutes, finally sighing and giving in.

"Fine, I guess we're doing it the hard way. But also the least painful way," he added before I could protest.

I thought for a minute.

"So . . . how is this gonna work?"

**Chapter 3: Get Up!**

I was lying on my back, tossing a rock when Urahara finally finished writing his "training schedule".

"Finally," I mumbled, standing up. He had been gone for at least a half an hour. I was starting to worry. Because I can't call that elevator thing and get us out of here.

I scratched my arm and was about to ask him if I was going to need anything for my training when I almost lost my head.

Urahara threw his sword at me, moving so quickly I didn't even know what was happening. I barely dodged it, putting a slice in my jacket as I moved.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!" I yelled from the ground, which was where I landed after dodging the projectile.

"That was your first lesson. One you can catch that sword, we'll be able to move onto the next stage of training," Urahara stated.

"Well would you mind teaching me something before you throw shit at me? Seriously, did you expect me to catch that thing? How will I ever catch that?" I screamed, waving my arms around like a lunatic.

"Hm, you have a point. Oh well, that's over with now. And you'll be able to catch it eventually," he informed me.

"God, this is all sounding very Karate Kid if ya ask me," I mumbled.

"Nobody did. Now, let's begin training. Today we're just going to be working on your spirit energy. Although your control is impressive, we need to be able to access your energy in order for you to become a Soul Reaper. So that means we need to break down that steel cage you've got around your spirit energy," Urahara explained.

"Oh, that sounds like fun," I replied sarcastically. Urahara led me to an area of the training cavern or whatever the hell it was, that was more dirt than stone.

"Now, your energy is locked up because you didn't want to use it. People told you to seal it away. Now, my theory is, that will power alone won't break the seal. I think that your power will be released if you're provoked and forced to defend yourself. Spirit energy can increase strength, so if you really need it, it might break free," he stated. I nodded. So he was gonna punch me and crap. Yaaay.

"I'll go easy on you," Urahara said. Then he punched me in the gut. I doubled over in pain but had to move out of the way to avoid a roundhouse kick to the face.

"You call this going easy?" I yelled as I dodged another punch. I couldn't even land a blow on this guy, he was moving so fast.

"You can hit me! C'mon it's not that hard, ya pussy!" he yelled, kicking me twice. I stepped back and grimaced. I noticed that he was cussing now. Great.

I side stepped another kick and was able to land a punch in his side, and was promptly elbowed in the face.

"Is that all you got! Come on! Wimp!" Urahara shouted, landing more blows on my face and stomach. Each time I was hit it hurt worse and worse. I was feeling bruised and my lip was bleeding. I was getting dizzy and disoriented. Urahara swept my feet out from under me, and I fell, bringing my hands up to protect my face.

"Well . . . you landed a blow. At least that's something," he mumbled. But I knew I had failed. He had tried to help me, but I had just been a wimp and hadn't even been able to hurt him. I felt terrible, weak and bruised. Maybe I just wasn't cut out for being a Soul Reaper. I bit my lip. Oh hell, no. I am_ not _crying.

"Hey, it's OK. I was pretty bad at first too. First day of Soul Reaper training I went home on a stretcher," Urahara said, holding a hand out for me. I grabbed it and he helped me to my feet.

"At least you've got a nice trainer," he grinned. I made a face at him.

"I suck. My parents run a freaken Tae Kwon Do school and I can't even beat somebody up," I mumbled. Urahara patted me on the back.

"I'm not just a somebody, I'm a Soul Reaper. And a powerful one at that. You probably need to fight someone a little closer to your skill level. How about the kids?" Urahara was about to call them over when I stopped him.

"No! I'm sorry, but I just can't hurt a kid. It's just wrong," I told him.

"Ah, it's against your principles. Well, this seems to be an issue," Urahara mused.

"Hey, I'll go home and practice. Then I'll come back tomorrow and whoop your ass," I smirked.

"Good luck with that," Urahara sniggered, calling the elevator down to get us.

Yeah, I'm gonna need some luck.

**Mini Chapter 1:**

_At the Obata Household . . ._

Mine: she's still not back!

Raidon: I hope she didn't meet a boy, god damn perverts . . .

Mine: I'm sure she's fine, but all the stores are closed now!

Raidon: I guess we'll just have to paint it this color.

_And that's how Gina's living room was painted the color of puke._


	2. vol 2 Rude Boy

**Silver – Volume 2: Rude Boy**

**(A/N – **Hello people! Chapter 2 is here now! In this chapter, Gina (or Shiori, whichever you like more), finally meets a few more main characters. I would like feedback on this story, particularly this chapter, and Gina's reactions. Also, the teacher in this section is Mr. Ochi. Apparently Gina's family ran over Ms. Endo and she won't be better until after summer break. Just so you know what's going on.

Sorry, this volume only has two chapters. But trust me, it's worth it!

I do not own "The Bitch is Back" by Elton John [Yay Elton John!], or "Rude Boy" by Rihanna.)

**Chapter 4: The Bitch Is Back **

I woke up to the sound of screaming. Again.

"Crap!" I yelled, running downstairs. My mom was thrown into the coffee table, and fell over it, landing on the couch. I sighed as I saw my dad enter the room.

"Ha! I told you I was stronger than you!" he yelled at her.

"You cheated! Taunting me with a fashion magazine while pushing me doesn't prove a thing!" Mom yelled as she ran around the table and tackled her husband, pinning him on his stomach and twisting his foot.

"How do you like it now? Huh?" she roared. I rolled my eyes and walked into the kitchen to fix some breakfast and possibly clean up any wreckage they had left. Yes, that was normal for my parents. They take Tae Kwon Do seriously. It's how they met.

I righted a few chairs and stuck some bread in the toaster, coating it with butter before walking through the living room. I stuck the toast in my mouth while I picked up some other things my parents had knocked over.

"OW OW! UNCLE!" Dad yelled as I walked up the stairs. "GINA! SAVE ME!"

"Eh, maybe later," I replied absentmindedly. I went through my usual morning routine, brush teeth, shower, eat toast; but not necessarily in that order. Then I looked for my school uniform. Since I had gotten home so late last night, I hadn't been able to unpack my new school uniforms.

"Oh, shit!" I mumbled. When am I gonna have time to practice my karate before my Soul Reaper training? God damn my stupid schedule. I finally found my clothes and put them on. I looked at myself in the mirror.

"Not good enough . . ." I mumbled. I stuck a few more pads in my bra.

Yes, I stuff my bra. It's another one of the things I was teased for. All of my friends had huge boobs, and I was stuck with a stupid A cup. So they teased me, and pressured me, and finally I gave in and bought those bras that add two cup sizes, and stuffed those with more pads. I was ashamed of it, yes. But I just wanted to look normal, and I wanted guys to like me. And that's kinda hard when you're a freak like me.

I grabbed my school bag and headed out, just as my alarm clock rang. I scrunched my eyebrows together. What the hell? I checked the time on the clock: 5:30. Damn parents must have woke me up early . . . but now I have time to practice.

"Hey Mom!" I yelled.

"Yes, Gina?" she answered, sitting on top of Dad, who was gagged with a sock.

"Is the dojo set up yet?" I asked.

"Not yet, but all the stuff's there. You can head over before school if you want," Mom replied, throwing me the extra set of keys.

"Thanks! Bye!" I called over my shoulder as I walked out the door. Mom yelled "bye" and Dad made a muffled noise that sounded like "help me!"

I set up some bags when I got to the dojo, and started my basic training, improving the power of my kicks and punches. But what I really needed to work on was speed. So I also worked on footwork and ducking, the best speed training I could do without anyone there. I took off the training clothes I had kept in my school bag, sprayed them with air freshener, and put them back in my bag while changing into my school uniform. What, I only have enough room in that bag for one outfit!

Oh god, I was late. The clock read 7:51 and class started at 8. And the walk to school was twenty minutes.

"What better way to train for speed than to run?" I murmured sarcastically, as I ran down the street. I jumped over benches and ran across roads while cars were coming. I almost got hit once, but luckily I got out of the way in time. I ran all the way there, and stood just outside the doors at 7:59.

"Wow," I huffed, walking into my classroom just before the bell rang and collapsing in a heap at a desk in the back of the room.

"Hey! Gina-chan!" Oh no. Please, god, tell me I'm dreaming. I sunk lower in my chair, hoping I didn't have to talk to her.

"Giiina! I know you're there! C'mon!" I sighed. I guess there's no escaping your problems.

"Hey, Ai-chan!" I called, putting on a fake smile. Ai had been one of the girls that had teased me at my old school, making fun of how I looked and pulling my hair. She wasn't the ring leader, but she still bullied me.

"Isn't it amazing we got accepted to the same high school? Now we can do all the things we used to! Right, oldie?" she teased, ruffling my hair. I felt an old pain stab in my stomach as she made fun of my hair. I wanted to be stronger and stand up to her, but how? The way she talks sounds like we're friends and she calls me by affectionate nicknames, so if I yell at her or call her a mean name, people will think _I'm_ the bully! Damn . . .

"Uh huh, it sure is . . ." I smiled again, wishing that I hadn't picked the seat next to hers. "Hey, where's the teacher? Isn't it time for class?" I wondered out loud.

"Oh, Ochi-sensei is always late. He drinks too much," the girl in front of Ai replied. She had shorter black hair that was kind of spiky.

"Really? Then when does he come in?" Ai asked, sweeping her black, wavy hair out of the way so she could face the other girl.

"I'm not really sure, I'm just repeating what I heard," she stated. "Oh, and I'm Tatsuki, nice to meet cha."

"I'm Shiori Obata, pleased to meet you, Tatsuki-san!" I replied, bowing a bit.

"I'm Ai Takuma. It sure is cool that you know a lot about the school when this is your first year," Ai said without bowing. Ai was always doing things like that, being rude. It made me want to punch her. Well, actually, I always want to punch her.

"Nice to meet you guys," Tatsuki replied, bowing to me and ignoring Ai. Apparently her rudeness didn't go unnoticed. "And yeah, I'm friends with a few upperclassmen, so I know the school pretty well. Ochi-sensei is really strict when he's sober, though. So watch out." Tatsuki turned around in her seat and stared at the board.

Not many people were here yet, just Tatsuki, us, a few other girls and two guys who were really acting weird. Well the one guy was acting weird, the other one was standing next to him and acting as if that was completely normal. Ai was watching the two boys.

"Wow, is that all the selection we get? Seriously? Oh god, I'm gonna _die _here . . ." she trailed off. I sighed and took out the books I would need for this class. I was looking for a pencil in the depths of the bag when I heard a loud gasp from Ai.

"Oh my god . . ." she whispered. This could mean one of two things. Either there was a really hot guy in the proximity, or a really cute animal. I'm guessing the first. I found a pencil and put my books on my desk, then let out a gasp that was similar to Ai's, but for a totally different reason.

Two guys were walking down the aisles to get to their desks. The first one I noticed was the big one. He was huge, probably over a foot taller than me, and he was built like a fighter, very strong. He looked as if his heritage was not fully Japanese, maybe Latin American blood? I couldn't be sure. I wouldn't wanna insult that guy, he could break me in half!

After I got over the initial shock of the first guy, I noticed the smaller guy behind him. Well, I'm sure he's not small, just small in comparison to that . . . giant. He . . . oh my god, look at his hair. That's worse than mine. Dang.

The guy with the orange hair sat in front of me, and the giant sat next to Ai on the other side. I was still amazed. Seriously . . . how the hell do you get hair like that? At least mine isn't _that_ noticeable . . .

"Gina-chan! Steel Wool! Look at me, goddammit!" Ai whisper-yelled while poking me with a pencil. I looked at her.

"Switch seats with me," she commanded. Now I know which guy she liked.

"Really? Him? Look at his head, man," I whispered back, leaning towards her seat.

"I don't care, move!" she practically dragged me out of my seat, shoving all my stuff at me as she stared at the back of his head. I was so surprised by her actions I almost fell out of my seat and onto giant-guy.

I righted myself and put my books down, looking at my desk. I can't believe how much I let Ai control me. I wasn't infatuated with orange hair dude like Ai was, but by her taking my seat by force, she had control over me. I felt so weak and stupid. I should learn to stand up for myself, goddammit!

At that moment, the teacher walked into the classroom with an obvious hangover, and started to teach while the rest of the kids found their seats and stopped talking. I looked up from my desk and saw Tatsuki looking at me. She had probably seen the whole ordeal and thought I was a loser. I put my head on my desk throughout the whole class.

**Chapter 5: Rude Boy**

The rest of the day passed without a major incident. Sure, Ai made fun of me and practically stalked all the cute guys she saw throughout the day, but she didn't do anything particularly bad. I tried to talk with a few of the other girls, but Ai kept preventing me from talking to them and calling me "Gina". God, I hated her for that. I wish she had just stayed where she belonged.

The reason she was enrolled in this school was because she was closer to it than the other high school her other friends were going to. Also, her dad coaches the soccer team for the school, so I should have guessed she would go here. God, this is gonna be a living hell.

If I wasn't around anyone from my old school, I would be my usual self. Loud, sarcastic, and I consider myself funny but I'm not sure if that's true. But if I have to deal with them, I put on a charade. It's partially because I don't want them to ruin my life because I act out, partially because most people like the shyer girls. If I was loud and obnoxious at school, no one would want to be friends with me.

I walked out of the school building, parting ways with Ai, whose mom had come to pick her up in a car because she lived too far away to walk. I turned left, while most of the other kids turned right. I sighed and wished I had some pockets to stick my hands in.

"Hey! Shiori-san! Gina-san! Whatever the hell your name is!" I heard Tatsuki call. I turned around, surprised that she remembered who I was and didn't think I was a total loser.

"Yes, Tatsuki-san?" I asked.

"That Ai chick isn't really your friend, is she?"

I shook my head, feeling ashamed.

"Then why do you hang out with her? I can kick her ass if you want me to!" Tatsuki frowned, looking like she was ready to fight.

"No! You don't have to do that. I mean, I only just met you. You shouldn't do something like that for me," I mumbled.

"But why not? She deserves to be beat up! I can't stand people like her that pick on others!"

"I can't either. I hate her. But she knows things that I don't want other people to know. So if I talk back to her, she could ruin my life. And even if that wasn't the case, I wouldn't have you fight her." I looked Tatsuki in the eyes. "To me, it's a matter of honor. I started this, I'm the only one that's getting hurt. I won't have someone else fight my battles."

I felt like I had regained at least a shard of my dignity as I spoke to Tatsuki. At least I was trying to gain enough courage to take on Ai. I was still weak now, but I was training. Maybe if I was able to unlock my spiritual energy, I could gain enough power to feel that I am truly strong. And if I am strong, then I can take on Ai.

"Oh, I get it. OK, I won't mess with her. If it's about pride, I understand. Just try not to get hurt," Tatsuki gave me a small smile and turned right, walking away from me. I'm glad she understands why I can't get help. I need to redeem myself.

I started walking to Urahara's shop, rubbing the back of my head.

"God, what a fucked up day," I grumbled. Now that I was away from Ai, I was feeling angrier. At myself, and at her. God damn bitch. As I walked, a car sped past and water splashed onto me.

"What the hell! It hasn't even been raining!" I yelled, shaking myself like a dog. The dirty water had stained my shirt. Now I would have to pre-scrub it when I got home.

"Great, just fuckin' great," I grumbled, kicking a light post. My toe hurt slightly afterwards, and I hissed in annoyance.

_Just calm down, Shiori. Save your anger for training,_ I thought to myself. I walked past a park, trying to get my anger under control, when a soccer ball nailed me it the back of the head.

"Damn!" I yelled, rubbing the sore spot. A few kids laughed at me. _OK, that's it. One more thing, and I'm beating the shit out of somebody._ And that one more thing came.

I grumbled as I walked away from the park, trying to rein in my anger. But some asshole bumped into me. And I don't mean his shoulder knocked into me. No, that would have been going easy on me. This dude practically mowed me down. I fell to the sidewalk as he kept walking, not even saying a "sorry" in passing. That was it.

"Hey, asswipe!" I yelled. The rude idiot turned around. I noticed it was the guy with the orange hair from school.

"What did you call me?" he growled, glaring at me. I glared right back, pissed off beyond belief.

"I called you an asswipe you motherfucking dick!" I roared, stepping closer to him. I had to look up to meet his gaze, he must have been at least a half a foot taller than me.

"Listen, I don't have time for this bullshit, I've gotta get home," he spat, turning away from me. But I wasn't gonna let him get off that easily. I yanked his shoulder, sending him spinning around to face me. While he was still disoriented, I punched him in the jaw, and he staggered back a few steps.

"I've had a really bad day, and you're little push back there? Yeah, that was the last fuckin' straw," I growled, moving into a fighting stance.

"Yeah, bitch? You think you're so badass? You need to be taught a lesson," he ran forward, kicking me in the face. I almost fell, but regained my balance and was able to block a punch to my stomach. I elbowed him in the face, but he was able to stomp on my foot.

I hissed in pain, naturally bending over. He then sent an uppercut to my jaw, sending me flying to the ground. I touched my jaw, which was throbbing in pain. I hissed again.

"Uh huh. Why don't you pick on someone your own size, shorty," he rolled his eyes and began to walk away. I made an animalistic noise and swept his legs out from under him. He thinks I can't take him? I'm not going to be beaten again.

He landed on his face, snarling. He stood up, grabbed the collar of my shirt, and lifted me into the air.

"You think you're some big shit? Huh?" he taunted, getting up in my face. I spit on him. As he lost his focus I kneed him where it hurt, and he dropped me. He bent over in pain, but surprisingly didn't fall to his knees.

I was furious. This day had been hell. This walk to practice? Probably something equally vile. And this guy thought that just because he was physically stronger than me he would win this fight? I was angrier than I had been in a long time.

I let out a roar, jumping off the ground and punching the guy as he looked up. I hit him right in the nose, sending him flying, literally _flying_, across the sidewalk and into the pavement. But he didn't land on the pavement, he made a _dent_ in it. I stared.

I ran over to the guy, who was groaning in the indentation. My eyes went wide.

"Oh, god . . ." I mumbled. Did I do that? I mean, did I actually make a person fly across the road and make a freaken _hole_ in _pavement_? I think I need an Advil . . .

"What the hell?" the guy grumbled, picking himself up. He had a bloody nose and scrapes on his arms. He put a hand to his nose.

"You bitch!" he yelled. Or at least that's what I think he said, he was pinching his nose to try to stop the bleeding.

"Dude, I know you're an asshole, but are you OK? Damn . . ." I said, observing my own injuries. My jaw was definitely bruised, and my fist hurt like hell. My stomach was probably bleeding internally.

"No, I'm not OK you, you, freak! What the hell! You just, what, god . . ." he stuttered, looking at the dent in the pavement.

"Eh, you're fine," I said, picking up my book bag and continuing on my way. I was too freaked out by this to talk to that guy anymore. Plus, I needed to tell Urahara about that . . . _sonic punch_?

"What! The next time I see you, I'm gonna rip your throat out!" the orange haired guy yelled at my retreating form. I ignored him and started running to Urarhara's shop.

**Mini Chapter 2: **

Ichigo: *still has bloody nose* why did she have to beat me up! I could have _died!_

Author: You're the main character. This story wouldn't go over too well if you died.

Gina: And another thing, the title? Rude Boy? By _Rihanna_?

Author: So, Ichigo was viewed as rude in the chapter!

Gina: Yeah, but that song is _suggestive_! Couldn't you have picked something fighty?

Author: The actual song has nothing to do with the chapter, just the title! Ugh!

Ichigo: Hey, girl that gave me a bloody nose! You wanna beat up this asshole author?

Gina: Hell yeah!

Author: *is wailed upon*

_Uh, yeah, the Author is dead now . . . ._

**Reviewer's question! **The reviewer's question is something that I write for each chapter that I want you, the readers (and reviewers) to answer. Today's question is . . .

How do you feel about Ichigo being pwnd by Gina? Any answers, negative or positive, will be accepted, and the best will be shown in the next volume of **Silver. **(If I don't get enough answers I'll just cut this part out)


	3. vol 3 The Fire Down Below

**Silver – Volume 3: The Fire Down Below**

**(A/N – **For those of you that are confused, Soul Reaper - Shinigami, Death God. Zanpaku Tô –Soul Slayer. I read the American manga, so I'm gonna use those terms. So, Gina just punched Ichigo and he made a dent in the pavement when he landed. O.O What's gonna happen next?

Disclaimer: I don't own "Something" by the Beatles, "The Fire Down Below" by Bob Segar and the Silver Bullet Band, or "Miss You" by the Rolling Stones.

Wow, all classic rock this chapter. Enjoy!)

**Chapter 6: Something**

"URAHARA!" I yelled, running through the door of his shop. No answer. Actually, it seemed like no one was there at all. I shrugged, and walked to the back of the shop where the elevator was. I pressed the button, and was lowered into the training area, where Urahara was cleaning Red Princess.

"Gina! So glad to – oh god," his expression changed in the middle of his sentence as he looked at me. He seemed very worried.

"It's OK, they're just a few scratches, nothing to worry about," I tried to console him, but he shook his head.

"That's not what I'm talking about. What the hell happened? You spirit pressure has nearly doubled! What could have done that!" he questioned, pacing and looking at his sword, as if it – no, _she_ – could answer him. "Well, no matter what caused it, you need to break that seal on your energy before it breaks on its own. If that seal breaks because of too much spirit energy, you could be seriously injured, not to mention you would lose all your powers."

I gulped.

Urahara clapped his hands together. "Now, I know that yesterday-" he cut off as he threw Red Princess at me. I had almost forgotten about the strange training technique. I ducked, pressing myself to the ground. The sword whizzed above my head.

"Yesterday was a bit of a letdown, but today it has to work. Or else, BLAM! Little Gina bits all over the place. And we don't want that, right?" Urahara continued as if nothing had ever happened. He walked past me as I fumed on the ground, and pulled his Zanpaku – Tô out of the wall.

"So, let's begin," he sheathed his sword, and tried to punch me. I ducked, having been getting off the ground when he swung. I tried to tell him about what had happened.

"I need to-" dodge "tell you-" ouch "something!" I yelled in between moves, trying to concentrate on not getting hit, but feeling that what had happened with the orange haired boy was important.

"And what would that be?" Urahara asked while kicking my face. I growled. You win one fight, and get kicked in the face again in another one. Goddammit.

"I can't-" dodge "tell you-" dodge "if you're –" ouch "trying to kill me!" I yelled, grabbing his arm as he punched and trying to twist it, only to be elbowed in the face by Urahara.

"I think I might be going too easy on you. Tell me whatever it is after we break that seal," Urahara kneed me in the gut. I was fuming.

_Maybe I could use that sonic punch again!_ That would show him . . . but how do I unlock that power?

"GAH!" I yelled as I was punched in the nose.

"Stay focused!" Urahara chided as I blocked a kick. I was getting murdered out here. This has to be the worst day ever. Just freaken punch him!

I blocked another punch, landing a blow on his jaw. Urahara used that to knee me in the stomach and then sweep my legs out from under me.

"You're not getting better," he stated, standing over me. I got up and resumed my stance, feeling embarrassed. God, please let me get a sonic punch in. . . but how?

_It only works when you're really angry . . ._ a thought came into my head. As soon as I thought it, I knew it was true. I had to get furious. I let Urahara punch me, getting angrier and angrier with each blow, and searching for an opening in his stance. Just when I thought I was about to crack, Urahara let one of his hands down a bit lower than is recommended, obviously thinking I was giving up. I wasn't.

I screamed, leaning forward and palm striking his sternum. His eyes widened as he flew across the room and into the wall, sliding to the ground after the impact.

"I _said_ I had to tell you something," I mumbled.

**Chapter 7: The Fire Down Below**

I walked over to Urahara, who was sprawled on the ground due to my attack. I flexed my hand. It hurt like hell, even more than when I had punched that orange haired kid. I lent my other hand to Urahara, who pulled himself up, and then punched me in the nose.

"OW! WHAT THE FUCK!" I screamed, feeling anger bubble inside me.

"Never offer to help the enemy up," Urahara stated, brushing dust off of himself. I glared at him.

"You're not the enemy, you're my teacher, ya asshole. Of course I'm gonna help you up," I responded, feeling like I needed to punch something, but not wanting to break my hand. _Hmm, I wonder . . ._

I walked to a rock and kicked it as hard as I could. It exploded, basically, and the pieces rained down next to Urahara.

"That technique you used was quite interesting. I can honestly say I haven't seen anything quite like it. At least, not in a soul with your power. And I do believe the seal on your powers is cracking because of it," he pointed out.

"Really? Then maybe if I get angry enough, the seal might break . . ." I mused.

"Yes, I believe so. But it will be hard to get you that angry without being blasted by that spirit energy slam of yours. It hurt," Urahara said, rubbing his shoulder. I laughed.

"So, how come my punch is so strong, does it have something to do with spirit energy?" I asked.

"Yes, at least I think so. The way you channeled your energy was not through a Zanpaku-Tô, but through your body, giving your attack extra force. Apparently at this stage it is only released by anger, but if you can learn to control it like how you learned to seal your spirit energy, then you could take out some pretty tough Soul Reapers with it," Urahara stated, picking up a rock and testing its weight. What is he – oh shit.

I ducked, trying to dodge the rock he threw at me, but it just hit me in the face anyway. I let myself become angry, trying to urge on my power. I need to break that seal. I thought about what had gone on today, Ai, my terrible walk home, the orange haired guy, and finally Urahara beating me with rocks. I was simmering, but I didn't feel the warmth building in me like when I used the sonic punch. I needed to get angrier.

I thought about how people bullied me at my old school, how I had given into pressure and taken away everything about me that was special. I was an idiot for doing that. I needed to be strong, but I was weak. I need to be _strong_!

I felt the heat in the pit of my stomach, the burning in my hands to let the energy flow from me, but Urahara yelled at me.

"Don't release it yet! The seal isn't broken!" I clenched my fists, annoyed that I had to wait in order to break the seal. Damn seal and the fact that you have to build up all your spirit pressure in order to break it.

The warmth in my stomach had spread to my chest, and was now a burning sensation, not just warmth. The burning in my hands had turned to searing pain, but still I hung on, closing my eyes and concentrating on not releasing my energy yet. My eyes began to tear, it hurt so much.

"Just a bit more . . . NOW!" Urahara yelled. I screamed, releasing the energy. I didn't even have to punch anything, it seemed to release through my hands as soon as I broke concentration. As it was released I felt immensely powerful, but after the few seconds of power I crashed to the ground, weakened by the effort.

"Perfect!" Urahara stepped out from behind a rock. I would have rolled my eyes if I had not been face down on the floor.

"Now gather your energy back up again before you lose it," he added, taking a seat on the same rock. I growled, barely able to lift myself up to glare at him.

"And how am I supposed to do that, you son of a bitch?" I flopped back down with a muffled 'ow'.

"It should be fairly simple. I'm sure you can feel the energy around you. Just concentrate," Urahara stated, still sitting on the rock.

I sighed and lay on the ground, feeling tired and annoyed that I had to do yet another thing today involving my spirit energy. I closed my eyes, trying to concentrate. Luckily, it wasn't that hard. I could feel my energy floating around me; I could somehow sense that it was mine.

I concentrated, making a picture in my mind. In the picture, my spirit energy was silver, and all the other energy was white. I collected the silver energy, latching onto it with my mind. Once I was sure I had collected all of it, I pulled it to me. Then I made a casing out of thread to hold all the spirit energy together, and attached that to myself. By picturing this in my mind, I was able to collect my energy in real life, and contain it within me. I felt a faint warmth inside me, letting me know I could use my power if I needed to.

"Good, very good. So now you have released your full power for the first time, and successfully collected it all again. And that means next time you need to enlarge your 'spirit casing' it will be much easier. Now that we have that done, we need to figure out how your spirit energy increased so much in the first place," Urahara explained. I sat on a rock across from him, feeling a bit stronger now that I had my spirit energy back.

"What might make spirit energy increase like that?" I asked. Urahara thought for a moment.

"Well, sometimes Soul Reapers siphon off spirit energy form others around them, although this happens very rarely and it is usually detected early on because that Soul Reaper either starts to siphon from fellow Soul Reapers, or because their ambitious nature says it all. This only happens in higher level Soul Reapers, though. So I don't think this is your problem.

"Another option is that you unlocked power that wasn't sensed before, and it was awakened by something. Although it's possible, I don't think this is what happened to you. I sensed the power you had locked away, most Soul Reapers wouldn't have even known that you were powerful by the way you had that energy locked up. So no, I don't think you had a hidden reserve.

"The third option is that your energy reacted with the energy of another person. By interacting with another soul of a high level, your soul could have gained power. This could be because that person's power is so great it awakens the powers of those around it, or just because your soul wavelength is particularly sensitive to that soul. I think this is what happened to you," Urahara finished. I stared at him. That was a lot to take in.

"But I haven't met with a soul of high power besides you. Could it have been you?" I asked, twirling a piece of my hair.

"It's possible, but I don't think so. If it had been me, your spiritual pressure would have increased as soon as you came into contact with me," he explained.

I bit my lip. "But then who could it have been? I don't think I've run into any other Soul Reapers."

"You could have, your seal hadn't been broken then. Maybe you passed one on your way to school or something, I don't know," Urahara shrugged. "I think your soul might just be sensitive to a certain soul. Is there anyone particularly kind to you at school? Or someone that pleases you?" I thought immediately of Tatsuki.

"There was a girl that offered to beat up a bully for me. She was nice, and she was able to see right through the bully's façade," I said.

"Yes, that could be it. Maybe if you spend more time with her, your spirit energy will increase. And we want that to happen," Urahara added.

"OK, so spend time with Tatsuki, don't get angry. God, I feel like the Incredible Hulk or something," I mumbled. Urahara looked at me strangely.

"I like American movies, OK?" I defended, calling the elevator.

"I never said our training was over," Urahara cautioned.

"Well, I'm fuckin' tired, I don't feel like being beat up again, and it's almost nine," I pointed out. "Goodbye Urahara-sensei!" I called as I was lifted up by the elevator. I had a smirk on my face.

"Yes, goodbye _Gina-chan_," Urahara shouted. I frowned.

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!"

**Chapter 8: Miss You**

I arrived home at around nine. I quietly opened the front door, expecting to find two very pissed off parents to add to the list of bad things that had happened today. But surprisingly, all the lights were off and there were no parents to be seen. I frowned, turning on the lights. I found a note in the kitchen.

"_We're going to be home a little late, we have a student testing for their black belt, and they couldn't do it any other time. Sorry. Dinner's in the fridge._

_Mom & Dad_"

I set the note down, and pumped my fist in the air. Yes! I won't get in trouble!

I ate the dinner I was prepared, washed my dishes and went to the laundry room to clean my dirty school clothes. I had forgotten to change into training clothes before I had gotten to Urahara's, so my shirt was even dirtier than before. I sighed and scrubbed both it and my skirt before throwing my skirt in with my training clothes. I also fished my school jacket out of my bag and threw that in there too. I would do the whites later. Right now I had something more important to do.

I walked into the living room with its awful puke-color walls, stepping over a few boxes before I found the box I was looking for. I removed the picture and candles, placing them on a shelf. I lit the candles and kneeled on the pillow, looking up at the photo of my aunt. I felt a stray tear snake its way down my face. I wished aunt Tsubaki was here. She was always there for me, or at least she used to be.

I loved my aunt. She had always been my role model, ever since I was a kid. She was a woman that was always so strong. She wasn't physically strong like my mom, but emotionally she was invincible. She would stand up for what she believed in and wouldn't back down, no matter how many people told her she was an idiot. People envied her because she was so beautiful. She had gorgeous black hair that reached her waist, and she usually had it held back with a pretty clip. She had a figure most girls would kill for. She was everything I wished I could be, but wasn't.

I remember when I was little and I would get so many cuts and scrapes I couldn't count them all. I would hurt myself so much from sparring at karate and climbing trees that aunt Tsubaki said 'you might turn into a big bruise'. She was kind to everyone and was so good with kids. I would spend time with her whenever I could, wanting to be like her but knowing I couldn't because my family expected me to be their kind of strong. I would never have enough patience to be like aunt Tsubaki.

It was tragic, her death. She had been working at a charity in the city, when she had died. She had been walking to her car, when three men had jumped her. The gang raped her and then killed her, taking her purse with them. She had been shot in the head. When I heard what had happened, I locked myself in my room and cried for hours, wishing that people like those men didn't exist.

My parents had been devastated, and had moved here to get away from the memory of her death. I mourned her every day, although I tried to put on a brave face in order to seem strong. At school I tried not to think about her, worried that I might break into tears in the middle of class. It hasn't been that hard, considering all the things that have happened recently, like discovering I could be a Soul Reaper, for instance.

I said a prayer for aunt Tsubaki; then I went upstairs to my room to treat my wounds.

**Mini Chapter 3:**

Gina: _The burning in my hands had turned to searing pain, but still I hung on, closing my eyes and concentrating on not releasing my energy yet. I literally felt like I was on fire . . . wait . . ._

Gina: GAAH! URAHARA! *is on fire* MAKE IT STOP!

Urahara: Interesting . . . *roasts marshmallow*

Gina: URAHARA, YOU JERK! *stops, drops, & rolls*

Urahara: hehe?

Gina: *sonic punches Urahara*

Urahara: ow?

_If a soon-to-be Soul Reaper is on fire, don't roast marshmallows . . ._

**Reviewer's question!** What caused Gina's spirit pressure to increase? Was it Tatsuki like Urahara said? Ai? Ichigo? Urahara? Someone else? Or did she gain it by one of the other methods? Answer in your review!

The best answers (not _correct_ answers, **best **answers) will be shown in the next volume of **Silver.**


	4. vol 4 Words To Choke Upon

**Silver – Volume 4: **

**(A/N – **Is it wrong that I'm eating strawberries while writing this? Lol. So, last time we learned about Gina's "sonic punch" and what caused it. Also, Aunt Tsubaki was talked about in depth. What's gonna happen next?

The titles for 10 and 11 actually suit the chapters really well. And I didn't notice that until after I had picked them. That's really weird if you ask me. The title "Words (to choke upon)" is actually the song "4 Words (to choke upon)"

Disclaimer: I do not own the songs "Mixed Emotions" by the Rolling Stones, "4 Words (To Choke Upon)" by Bullet for my Valentine, or "With a Little Help from My Friends" by Joe Cocker. (hehe, Cocker . . .))

**Chapter 9: Mixed Emotions**

I snuck into my seat at the back of the class. Ai was already at school, but she was currently being molested by another girl. And to tell the truth, I didn't want anything to do with that.

I unpacked the things I needed for class, straightening my collar. Before I could look up, a pair of hands slammed down on my desk.

"You!" I looked up to see an orange haired boy with a heavy bandage over his nose. Gulp.

"Me?"

"Yes, you! Bitch! You're the asshole that broke my fuckin' nose!" he yelled, getting up in my face. I flinched backwards, noticing that the whole class was looking at us now, including Ai, who was glaring at me. Double gulp.

"Yes. Now would you please step back, I believe you're causing a scene," I stated calmly, trying to say something that would piss off the boy, but wouldn't seem too rude.

"No! You're a freak! I've got a damn medical bill and you're gonna pay it!" he growled, not looking very menacing because of the nose brace. I tried to keep my composure. I was too worried about Ai's reaction to get mad, but I also wanted to stand up for myself . . . but . . .

"So, you got a broken nose? Interesting . . ." I mused, thinking I sounded a bit too much like Urahara for my liking.

"Interesting! I'm gonna break your whole _face_!"

"Wait, dude, did she seriously beak your nose? She's like a foot shorter than you!" A boy with brown hair sniggered.

"Seriously, Ichi? You can beat up seniors, but not a girl? And I thought you were cool . . ." I heard more mumblings and laughter throughout the room.

"Don't let her fool you, she's a freak!" orange haired boy yelled, trying to gain some respect. I sank down in my chair, wanting to disappear. But I was pulled from my chair by Ai, and dragged across the room, barely stumbling to my feet.

"Hey, I'm not finished with you!" I heard the guy yell, but we were already in the hallway. Ai pulled me down a hallway, and then slammed me into the wall.

"What the hell, Shiori! You knew I liked him, were you jealous? Did you think if you couldn't have him, no one could?" I shook my head vigorously, trying to speak, but Ai put a hand over my mouth.

"No, don't you say a thing, Fake Boobs," Ai hissed. I cringed at the sound of another insult. "You're going to pay for this, Gina. How would you like to be punished? Should I tell them one of your embarrassing moments? How about that you stuff your bra? Your true hair color, the fact you can 'see' ghosts? It's your choice, Shiori."

"No, no, no," I said, putting my hands over my ears. I felt like crying and punching Ai's guts out at the same time. I clenched my fists as I felt the warmth build in the pit of my stomach, knowing my spirit energy was reacting to my anger.

"NO!" I yelled with renewed vigor, sliding to the floor and concentrating on my power, making sure that it wouldn't become so high that I would have to release all of my energy, and give Ai another thing to tease me about.

"Gina, if you even so much as _touch _him again, I will make your life miserable, you hear me? I'll tell them _everything_. Just remember that," Ai kicked me in the gut, sending another wave of warmth through me. I clenched my teeth and closed my eyes. _No, please don't . . ._

I sat there on the ground for a few minutes, waiting for the heat to subside. When it finally did and I uncurled from my ball on the floor, I noticed someone was sitting beside me.

"Tatsuki-san?" I asked, wiping a tear from my eyes.

"Hey," she responded, looking straight ahead.

"Hey," I responded, sitting up and unfolding my fists. My fingernails had dug into my palms, and my hands were bleeding.

"Are you sure you want to do this? Get beat up until you're strong enough to take her?" Tatsuki looked at me worriedly, noticing my hands.

"Yes, I'm sure. I'm strong enough, I just need to control my strength and find out how I can beat her without her . . . telling people," I mumbled, clutching my knees to my chest. Tatsuki looked at me with pity on her face. I scowled inwardly.

_I don't want people to look down on me with pity, I don't want to be weak. I need to be strong._

"So, I heard you beat up Ichigo. You've got guts," Tatsuki smiled.

"Ichigo? You mean orange dude? I wouldn't have beaten him up if he hadn't knocked me down, and then not apologized. I was having a bad fuckin' day," I replied.

"Yeah. The only person that could even dream of taking on Ichigo is Chad, and they're friends, so that wouldn't happen. I'm surprised you're not covered in bruises and scrapes," Tatsuki commented.

"Actually, I am," I smirked a little bit, rubbing off some of the concealer I had put on the bruise on my jaw. Tatsuki let out a small gasp. The bruise spanned the whole left side of my jaw, and was a terrible blackish-purple hue. Tatsuki was gaping at the color.

"My stomach's worse than that," I lifted up my shirt a bit, exposing the terrible bruise that spanned most of my stomach. Most of it was the same color as my jaw, but in a few spots it had turned a sickly yellow color. I pulled my shirt back down.

"Oh my god, that's terrible! And Ichigo did that?" Tatsuki asked, eyes wide as dinner plates.

"Well, mostly. But I'm also a Tae Known Do student with a very intense teacher," I answered. Well, actually, it was Urahara's fault, but I couldn't tell her that. She would think I'm crazy! I probably am crazy . . .

"Oh man . . ." she mumbled, shaking her head. I probably shouldn't show her my right hand if she thought that was bad. I was wearing a fingerless glove that covered up most of the bruising, but the looks of those bruises were much worse than those on my jaw or my stomach. Apparently the force of the sonic punch is so great that it bruises me more than any other hit that I may take. My right hand throbbed whenever I moved it, and I had to wrap most of my hand up with gauze. At least now I knew never to use it unless my hands were properly padded.

"Hey, isn't there a class going on?" I realized, standing up.

"Yeah, but who really cares. This is a bit more important, Shiori-san," Tatsuki said. She stood up as well.

"I know you're worried about Ai and how much control she has over you. I have no clue what she knows about you, but it has to be terrible. But you are strong, Shiori, you had to be in order to take on Ichigo. Just remember that whenever she tries to hurt you," Tatsuki smiled, and I smiled back as we walked to class.

**Chapter 10: Words (To Choke Upon)**

I grabbed my lunch, planning on eating with Ai again, because she would be pissed off if I ate with anyone else. I sighed, sitting next to her and a few other girls, not really listening to what they were saying, and just eating silently. When I heard my name being called I almost dropped my chopsticks.

"Shiori! Shiori-san! Come eat with us!" I looked up to see Tatsuki and a busty orange haired girl waving at me. I glanced at Ai, but she was so absorbed in conversation she didn't even notice as I snuck over to the other side of the little garden area.

"Hey, nice job of sneaking away without the Ai-bitch noticing you," Tatsuki commented, bringing some rice to her mouth.

"Hello!" the other girl smiled, facing me. I smiled back.

"Hi, I'm Shiori, you?" I asked, unpacking my lunch again and beginning to eat.

"I'm Orihime! It's a pleasure to meet you, Shiori-san!" Orihime declined her head in a small bow and I did the same.

"Um, what exactly are you eating?" I asked, staring at what appeared to be corn in some sort of strange pink jello-like material.

"Jelly-corn! Would you like to try some?" she asked, holding out her bowl.

"Uh, no thanks," I declined, trying to hide my disgusted expression. Tatsuki sniggered a bit.

"I wonder where the others are?" Tatsuki changed the subject. I raised an eyebrow. "Others?"

"Hey! What the hell is psycho-bitch doing here!" I heard a familiar voice yell. I sighed. Of course it was him.

"I'm eating, you jerk-off. What else would I be doing?" I scowled at him, tempted to flick a bit of my chicken at him.

"Oh, so when everyone else was watching you acted all sweet and shit, but then when no one's watching you turn into a bitch? Oh, I see," he frowned at me from under his nose brace.

"Hehe, you know that nose brace is so sexy, I bet all the ladies are just fawning over you," I smirked as he fumed.

"Why you little-"

"That's enough!" Tatsuki yelled, getting us both to shut up. The boys that had been standing with Ichigo were just watching without saying a thing.

"Ichigo, just because she beat you up doesn't make her a bitch, and Shiori, don't push him. He'll push back," Tatsuki explained. I stuck my tongue out at Ichigo and he returned the favor.

"So, are we gonna eat or just stand around working out Ichigo's personal problems?" the brown haired kid that had laughed at Ichigo earlier asked. I laughed.

"Naw, I don't think that could really be solved anyway. Sit down," I said, and everyone sat down in a circle. The other two guys were the huge guy that I had noticed on the first day, and a boy with black hair that I had seen around.

"So, what's your names?" I asked, eating more of my chicken.

"I'm Keigo!" The brown haired one yelled.

"Mizuiro" the black haired one said.

"Chad," the giant stated. Oh, so that's why he's the only one that can beat up Ichigo. Well, besides me.

"So, you're name's Shiori?" Ichigo asked, trying to make casual conversation without strangling me.

"Duh," I took a swig of water from my bottle.

"Because that Ai chick called you Gina," he commented. I choked on my water, coughing a bit.

"Shiori-san! Are you OK?" Orihime asked, slapping me on the back. I fell forward a bit, coughed, and nodded, fuming inside. God dammit.

"Don't . . . call me . . . Gina," I spoke between coughs, glaring at Ichigo. He smirked.

"OK Gina-_chan,_" he sang. I threw a piece of my chicken at him.

"If you call me that one more time you'll regret it," I growled.

"Come on, guys let's chill out . . ." Keigo said.

"Gina-chan, Gina-chan, GINA-CHAN!" Ichigo yelled. I felt the heat rise it the pit of my stomach. Oh, god, not again. I composed myself and the heat went away. Then I dumped my water bottle on Ichigo's head.

I heard "oh-ho!"s from Keigo and Tatsuki. Chad and Orihime offered to get Ichigo some towels.

"YOU BITCH!" Ichigo roared, soaking wet hair flying everywhere.

"Hey, you started it," I said nonchalantly as I finished my lunch and closed my box up. He glared at me, and I could almost see the light bulb as a plan formed in his mind. I had no time to do anything before he pulled me into a giant bear hug.

"Aren't we just great friends, Gina-chan!" he asked sarcastically as he soaked me. I glared at him, thrashing in the grip of the much stronger boy.

"Oh, fuck you, carrot top," I mumbled, struggling to get away from him and his wet clothes.

"For that you get even wetter!" he smirked, wringing his hair out on my head. I was getting angry. I tried to suppress the warmth that was building in my stomach and the burning in my hands.

"You better let go of me in the next five seconds or you'll be sorry," I growled, my voice strangely calm. "Five, four, three, two . . ." I wasn't going to be able to suppress my power much longer. Ichigo let go of me just before he would have lost all hope of having kids.

"Haha, who's laughing now," he smirked at me. I punched him in the arm, sending him stumbling back a few feet. I wasn't angry enough to send him flying.

"Don't push me, Ichigo," I glared at him. He frowned at me.

"Hey! Don't make me separate you two!" Tatsuki glowered at us like a preschool teacher.

"Yeah, please stop fighting! Friends shouldn't fight!" Orihime added, looking worried.

"Friends?" Ichigo and I asked simultaneously. We glared at each other.

"Orihime's right. You two should learn to get along better. If you're going to the same school, you should learn to get along," Chad added. I looked up at the tall guy, surprised he had spoken.

"Yeah, you don't even know each other. Give it a chance," Mizuiro said. I sighed.

"He started it," I mumbled. The bell rang for our second set of classes to begin.

"Dammit, I'm still all wet, thanks a lot," Ichigo grumbled, staring daggers at me. I glowered back at him.

"Yes, and thank you for wringing your hair out on my head, ya twit," I frowned, picking up my trash. All the others we already walking back to the school building.

"Hey, I'm worse off, now my bandage is coming off," Ichigo went cross eyed, fooling with his nose brace. I laughed. "What?"

"Oh, nothing, you just look like a retard," I sniggered. He threw a piece of trash at me.

"At least I don't look as bad as you, Gina-chan," I frowned at him.

"I'm serious about that name, Ichigo. Don't call me Gina," I started walking back to the building, Ichigo jogging and then catching up with me.

"Why not? And why are you called Gina in the first place?" he asked.

"None of your business," I threw away the trash, wringing out my hair. Ichigo threw his trash away too, looking at me with a calculating expression.

"You're weird," Ichigo concluded, walking away from me.

"Hey!"

**Chapter 11: With a Little Help from My Friends **

I was lucky the next class was gym, or else I would have had to sit through a whole class in soaking wet clothes. Damn Ichigo.

"Hey, class! Yeah, I'm talkin' to you! Shut up!" Ochi-sensei yelled. Apparently he teaches us everything, including gym.

"Yo! OK, now that I've gotten your attention, we will be starting our mixed martial arts/self defense unit. Today we will just be sparring in order to determine how advanced you are. I'll read the list," he flipped some pages on his clipboard back until he found the one he was looking for.

He read out the names of the groups, and I was glad I was paired with Orihime. If I was paired with Ichigo I would probably slam him through a wall or something, he irritates me so much.

I sparred with Orihime, who was actually pretty good at karate, landing a few good blows on my stomach, which hurt considerably because of my bruise. I went easy on her, correcting her stance and reminding her to keep her hands up. I didn't get angry once, which was an accomplishment in and of itself. By the end of the class I was feeling better, and Orihime and I talked as we went to get changed.

"You're pretty good at karate," Orihime pointed out, walking through the door to the locker rooms.

"Yeah, my parents run a Tae Kwon Do school. They're really serious about fighting," I commented, checking on my clothes. They were still a bit damp.

"Hey, do you happen to have any extra clothes?" I asked, stuffing the wet ones in my locker again.

"I have an extra shirt," Orihime offered. I tried it on. It was a bit large in the bust area, but fit decent enough. Tatsuki lent me a skirt, which was a bit tight, but dry at least. Ai looked at me distastefully as we walked out of the locker room.

"Why did you need different clothes?" she asked, not really interested in what I had to say.

"I got some stuff on the other ones," I answered, knowing she would just accept that one. The boys filed out of their locker room, Ichigo wearing his damp clothes.

"Having fun there, wet boy?" I smirked.

"What! How did you get dry clothes?" he looked at me enviously. "That shirt is too big in the chest for you."

"Shut up! I borrowed my clothes from Orihime and Tatsuki. What, rude guy doesn't have any friends?" Ichigo glared at Keigo and Mizuiro. They shrugged.

I laughed, walking into the classroom and sitting next to Ai. Ichigo gave me one last glare and sat down. Ai poked me. I turned, expecting the worst.

"Is Ichigo wet because of you?" she asked. Gulp. I nodded, and she hugged me. What the fuck?

"Oh my god, he looks sooo hot now. That's so thoughtful!" she ruffled my hair and stared at Ichigo, while I still wore a WTF? expression on my face. Man, people are weird.

Class went smoothly, and Ai was so focused on the damp Ichigo in front of her that she didn't even notice me. Ai really is weird when she likes a guy, I guess it's because she's a sadist, I dunno. But I do know that because she gets so obsessed with guys she has less time to spend teasing me. So I would be good if I could just stay away from Ichigo, which shouldn't be a problem. He makes me angry, so it's just another reason to add to the list of reasons to stay away from him. I was so spaced out I didn't hear the question the teacher asked me.

"Um, say what?" I answered. A few kids sniggered and I felt my face heat up. Damn them.

"I asked what the verb in this sentence is," Ochi-sensei repeated, being very nice about it.

_The great green grass flew over the cow with immense speed and strength._

"Flew. Who came up with that sentence?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"The class did, Obata-san. Pay attention next time," he stated. I shook my head. How weird.

Class ended, and I gathered up my clothes, which were now dry. I told Orihime and Tatsuki that I would wash their clothes and have them back by tomorrow. Then I said goodbye. I noticed Ai walking up to me.

"Hey, Gina-chan! I have a little assignment for you," Ai smirked. Uh oh. It's never good when Ai has an assignment for you. Or smirks. Just Ai in general means bad news.

"Uh, OK," I said. It was imminent on my face that I was worried.

"Oh, this one is easy! I just need you to ask out Ichi for me!" Ai smiled, looking over at Ichigo, who was saying goodbye to Chad.

"Um, I'm not exactly on his good side right now . . ." I mumbled, trying to get out of the deal. I was already late for Soul Reaper training.

"That's OK! I think he likes me anyway! Just go!" Ai started pushing me towards him, while I dug my feet into the pavement, trying to stop my forward momentum and failing.

"What do I do if he says no?" I asked. I know for a fact that Ai usually scopes out her target for at least a month before striking. She hadn't known Ichigo for even a week yet! This was weird. Even for Ai.

"He won't say no!" Ai gave me a final shove and I fell into Chad. I turned around, but Ai was gone. _Freakin' ninja . . ._

"Sorry, Ai pushed me," I mumbled to Chad.

"It's OK," he replied. Ichigo was already walking away. God, this was going to be embarrassing. I ran up to him.

"Yo! Strawberry head!" he turned around, glaring.

"What do you want, freak," he sighed, annoyed. I frowned at him.

"It's not what I want, it's what my idiot friends wants. Would you go out with her?" I didn't meet his eyes, playing with my fingerless glove.

"You – wait, oh I see. Now I know why you picked a fight with me," I furrowed my brow, looking up to see him smiling.

"Wipe that fuckin' smile off your face. I have no clue what you're talkin' about, but I take it that's a yes?" I asked. He grinned wider.

"Oh yeah. This is gonna be fun," Ichigo grinned widely and walked away.

"Freak," I mumbled, still not sure what the hell happened.

(A/N – Oh, god Gina. What have you gotten yourself into! *sigh*)

**Character Profile 1:**

Name: Shiori Obata (Shiori means bookmark)

Nickname: Gina (silvery)

Age: 15

Hair color: Silver. Is currently dyed black.

Eye color: Blue

Height: 5'4"

Weight: 127 lbs

Cup Size: A. Stuffs bra to a size C.

Occupation: High school student and . . . . SOUL REAPER! (in training)

Theme Songs: "Bulletproof" by Five Finger Death Punch. Her "OST" is "Diamond Eyes (Boom-lay Boom-lay Boom)" by Shinedown.

Author Comments: I gave Gina the Mary Sue* litmus test. Apparently she's on the edge of Sueness. If you say she has a relationship, she's a Sue *shrug* oh well, at least she's got a chance. That test is harsh. I can't really remember how I came up with her . . . I guess I just thought "Bleach OC" and out popped Gina. Her character has had a tough life. She hides the fact that she is weak by acting tough and sarcastic. This act eventually became her actual personality. The only time she isn't acting all tough is when Ai's around, and Ai intimidates her. I don't like her initial personality, but as her character progresses I start to like her more. =]

(* A Mary Sue is a character that is perfect, or so close to perfect it's annoying. Types of Sues include the self insert Sue, the Anti-Sue, and the angsty Sue.)


	5. vol 5 Going Under

**Silver – Volume 5: **

**(A/N – **Hello, and welcome to the 5th volume of Silver! In this volume, Gina talks a lot about friendship and how she feels about Tatsuki and Orihime. Orihime and Tatsuki are good friends, but Gina knows that she'll never have a relationship that's as close knit as the one between Tatsuki and Orihime. Gina knows that with her strange nature she'll probably never find a best friend. I apologize in advance for the angst… oh well, at least I like it :)

Last time, Gina made a date with Ichigo. For Ai, of course! What's gonna happen next? You're gonna have to read on, fool!

Disclaimer: I do not own the songs "Trouble" by P!nk, "Who Dat Girl?" by Flo Rida, or "Going Under" by Evanescence.)

**Chapter 12: Trouble**

I stumbled out of Urahara's shop, tripping over my own feet and almost falling. I then started to run home. It was ten already! I was gonna be busted for sure.

"Damn Urahara," I mumbled. Today he had tried to teach me to control my 'spirit energy slam' as he called it. I was slowly learning how to control it, by learning how to control my anger as well. Urahara had helped me out with a few tips on learning how to direct the flow of the spirit energy.

"So, if you want to punch something, try to focus on the amount of energy you want to use. Also, you need to learn how to control your spirit energy in general. If you learn how to control that, you might learn how to do other things with it," he had said.

"What type of other things?" I had asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"I have absolutely no idea. I'm completely new to your type of Soul Reaper training. Although I knew it existed, I've never trained someone using this method before," Urahara had admitted. I tried to get him to elaborate, but he just told me to punch more rocks.

I sighed, flexing my hands. Both were wrapped in medical gauze, and the right one was especially bloody. Rocks hurt.

I ran through my front door, slamming it closed and leaning on it. I slid down the wood surface, searching for breath.

"And where exactly have you been?" I shut my eyes. I knew I wouldn't get lucky tonight.

"Um . . ." I bit my lip, not knowing what to say.

"If it was a boy, I'm going to rip out his liver and feed it to rebid weasels," Dad growled, turning a light on beside his chair.

"I promise you Dad, it wasn't a guy. Our school has very slim picking in that department," I assured him.

"But that means you're _looking_!" I face palmed. Oh, Dad and your boyfriend-phobia.

"That isn't the point, Raidon. The point is that Gina was out for two hours longer than she should have been on a school night! What did you think you were doing?" Mom scowled, looking disappointed in me. I swallowed, trying to come up with a cover story.

"I-"

"Don't even try to explain yourself! No TV for a month, and I'm taking your cell phone," Mom commanded. My jaw dropped.

"You're taking my _phone_? How will I be able to call you if I'm running late? What if I get robbed and need to call the police?" I cried. This was an injustice! It was my phone, for Pete's sake!

"You won't have that problem. Every day, for a week, I want you at this house right after school lets out. You hear me? I'll call you every hour on the hour, and if you don't pick up, your punishment will last longer," she stated.

My eyes bugged out. How was I supposed to train? If I can't train for a whole week, my powers will get out of shape! And if I train by myself, I might do something that could damage my powers, or the area around me. This sucks. Big time.

"Fine," I grumbled.

"Now go to your room!" Dad added, trying to seem like he was a successful parent. I slumped up the steps and into my room, flopping onto my bed. I groaned. Stupid.

I pulled my blue phone out of my bag, and put it on my bedside table. I was tired. Should I change my clothes, or should I just sleep like this? I decided I needed to change. I took off my training clothes, thinking about what Urahara had said about my spirit pressure.

"Wow, it seems like you took my advice. Your spirit pressure has increased by even more than yesterday," Urahara had noticed.

"Seriously? Cool," I had smiled, glad that I was becoming more powerful.

"I wonder what you did. Did you happen to touch this Tatsuki person?" Urahara had asked. I had thought for a moment, not remembering if I had.

"I don't think so . . . but I did borrow clothes from her," I had remarked.

"Yes, that could have worked. Keep hanging out with her," Urahara had stated.

I'm glad that I have Tatsuki as a friend. She really cares about me, even if we have just met, and the only reason she likes me is because she's worried about the bullying. I was also happy to have Orihime as a friend, even if she could be a little scatterbrained at times. I liked them both, and I was glad I had real friends, and not just fake friends like Ai.

Although I was happy that Orihime and Tatsuki liked me, I really wanted a friend that likes me without pitying me. Tatsuki's worried about me, and Orihime doesn't even know about Ai yet. What I really wanted was a true friend, that didn't spend time with me because they were worried. I wanted a friend that would pick me up after I was crying, and let me punch them into a wall because I was so mad. I wanted a friend that would listen to me rant about Ai, and then make some corny joke so I would laugh. I wanted a true friend, but those only come around once in a lifetime. And Tatsuki and Orihime were enough for now.

And if I get mad I can always punch Urahara into a wall. He won't mind.

**Chapter 13: Who Dat Girl?**

I walked into school the next day, feeling pretty pissed off because my parents had taken my phone before I had left. Orihime and Tatsuki were sitting on desks in the front of the classroom. I walked up to them, trying to plaster a smile on my face.

"Hey, Shiori-san!" Orihime said, waving at me even though I was a foot away from her. I waved back, feeling weird.

"Hey Orihime-san. I've got your shirt," I held the shirt up. I had washed the clothes before I had left for school this morning.

"Thanks!" Orihime took the shirt and stuck it in her bag. I handed Tatsuki her skirt and thanked her for letting me use it.

"It's OK, that's what friends are for," Tatsuki gave me a small smile, which I returned. I was about to ask them how their evenings were when Ai dragged me to the back of the room.

"Uh, bye!" I called to them as they looked on with confused expressions.

"So, what did he say?" Ai asked, practically squealing.

"He said yes. . . I think. It was really weird," I said, scratching the back of my head. Ai smiled.

"Yes! I knew he would say yes, thanks!" _Thanks? You would have killed me socially if I had said no!_

Ai sighed contentedly. "He is so hot, you know." I raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. Better not contradict her, or I might be punished even more.

Ai went off on a rant of how awesome, hot, and muscular Ichigo was, but I wasn't really listening. Ai always talks about her current crush like that, and it can get very annoying. I especially didn't want to hear her rant about Ichigo. I might slap her or something.

"Hey, who's that?" she asked. I snapped out of my trance and turned to see a girl with black hair smiling at Keigo.

"I dunno. Maybe she's new," I commented. Ai frowned.

"Damn. Competition," she mumbled. I mentally rolled my eyes. Ai sees every girl as competition for her current crush. She's so boy crazy. She's probably normal crazy too . . .

"Go talk to her Gina-chan. Make sure she's not after Ichigo," Ai frowned at the new girl. I sighed. I always have to so her dirty business. Lazy bitch.

I walked up to the new girl as Keigo walked away, and smiled at her. She smiled back.

"Hi, I'm Shiori. Are you new?" I asked her.

"Yes, I am! My name's Rukia. Pleased to meet you, Shiori-san," Rukia bowed slightly and I did the same.

"Nice to meet you too. Where did you transfer from?" I asked. She seemed nice enough.

"Oh, I transferred from the Kanto region. It's a lot busier over there," she commented.

"I bet it is! Why did you move?" I asked.

"Business," she answered. I saw that her look was more calculating. What the . . .? I was just about to ask her what type of business she moved for, when Ichigo walked into class with Chad.

"I told you, I'm not a – what the hell!" he exclaimed, pointing at Rukia and me.

"No! Not good!" He physically picked Rukia up and moved her away from me. She seemed unfazed by this and smiled at Ichigo.

_Hey, what happened to his nose brace?_

"Don't smile at me, demon! And don't go near that one!" he looked at me and I stuck my tongue out at him. As this was happening, I wondered how Ichigo knew this girl and why he didn't want her near me.

"Hi! I'm Rukia, what's your name?" she held out a hand for Ichigo to shake, which was odd. Ichigo went nuts.

"GAH!" he cringed away from Rukia, looking at her smiling form as if she were the devil herself.

"I'm sure we're going to be good friends!" Rukia commented. I rolled my eyes at her sweet attitude. I could tell it was fake, just like Ai's. Who was this girl, really?

Just then the bell rang, and we made our way to our respective seats, Ichigo still looking at the girl like she was a ghost.

Mr. Ochi walked into the class, on time for once, and I whispered to Ai, "I don't think she's a problem. He's scared shitless because of her."

Ai smiled when she heard this.

XXX

At lunch I sat with Tatsuki and Orihime. The boys decided to sit away from us, but I didn't see Ichigo or the new girl the whole lunch period.

"Hey, where's Ichigo and that new chick?" I asked around a mouthful of salad.

"I don't know, I haven't seen them. Rukia seems cool though," Tatsuki remarked.

"I'm not sure, she seems to scare Ichigo-san," Orihime commented, looking a bit worried.

"Ha! Even better," I smirked. Tatsuki rolled her eyes, and Orihime continued to look worried.

Lunch passed quickly, and so did the rest of the day. There weren't any other weird encounters with Ichigo and Rukia, and I had to listen to Ai's Ichigo rant through the rest of my classes. I was able to suppress my anger at her idiocy, and I never felt the urge to use the sonic punch. Pretty soon the day was over and I was heading home. I made a stop at Urahara's shop before I get home though.

I walked into the shop, meeting Urahara in one of the back rooms.

"My parents grounded me because _you _kept me too late last night. So now I have to be at home and receive calls from my mom every hour on the hour," I frowned at him.

"So? I'll just come to your house," Urahara shrugged as if it were the simplest answer in the world. My eye twitched.

"It's not that easy! A fifteen year old girl and an adult that nobody knows in the girl's house? Yeah, that's gonna go over real well with the police," I mumbled sarcastically.

"Oh, come on. It'll be fine. I'll come over tomorrow at five. If anything changes, call me at this number," Urahara gave me a business card with his phone number on it. "Now get home before your mom flogs you or whatever parents do." He waved me away, and I started to run to my house.

I flew through the door while the phone was ringing, and picked it up.

"Yes?" I panted.

"Thank you for picking up. I thought I was going to have to come over there. Your dad and I will be home at six today. We've decided to close a little early in order to talk to you. So be good until we get there," Mom hung up, and I took my bag upstairs and unpacked, feeling trapped and bored. I deserved my punishment, but that didn't make it any more bearable. I did my homework and showered, then went downstairs and read a book.

**Chapter 14: Going Under**

My parents arrived home at exactly six, both sweaty and looking stern. It was strange to see this side of them, the actual "parent" side. Unless I did something bad, they usually made me feel like I was the parent and they were the children, with all the fighting they did.

"_Now_ I would like to hear why you were so late last night," my Mom asked, crossing her arms. I tried to stay as close to the truth as I could.

"I was training. I didn't think I was good enough at Tae Kwon Do, so I trained by myself at the park. I wanted to get stronger. But I kinda lost track of time," I mumbled.

"That's a load of bullshit," Dad stated. My eyes widened. I hadn't heard him cuss since aunt Tsubaki died.

"It is not!" I yelled. "Look." I took the bandages off of my right hand, wincing as I did so. I exposed my bruised and bloody hand. Mom gasped.

"What have you been doing!" she screeched. I hung my head.

"I've been trying to break concrete. Apparently I can't," I muttered. Actually I _can_ break concrete, but that's not the point.

"Oh my god! You should have known better. It takes years of training and extensive practice before you can even _think _of breaking concrete. Thank you for being honest with us, Gina-chan," Mom smiled at me. "Maybe we can shorten your punishment . . ."

Just then the doorbell rang. I frowned, knowing that my parents weren't too social. But who would be at the door?

"I'll get it," I said. I opened the door and my jaw dropped to the floor. "Ichigo!"

"Hey," he said, not smiling, but still giving the impression he was smirking. It was the first time I had seen him in something other than his school uniform. He was actually wearing a decent outfit. Who knew he had style?

"What the hell are you doing here!" I whisper-yelled, glaring at him. But my dad had heard my former outburst.

"Ichigo! Isn't that a guy's name?" he yelled, and I heard his footsteps as he stomped through the house.

"Get out of here!" I pushed him, but I wasn't strong enough to actually move him.

"Ok then. Let's go," he said with a small smirk. Then he picked me up and slung me over his shoulder fireman's style.

"ICHIGO! Let go of me!" I yelled, pounding on his back. Dad finally made it to the door, and stared up at Ichigo. Yes, my dad is that short.

"What do you think you're doing!" he yelled, glaring at Ichigo.

"I'm taking your daughter," Ichigo stated, and slammed the door on my dad's face. My eyes widened. This was not going to look good. I was getting angrier, and the heat in the pit of my stomach was building up. Ichigo started to jog down the street.

"LET ME GO!" I screamed. I kicked him in the gut, using my spirit energy to send him crumpling to the ground. I stood up, straightening up my sweatshirt. I was wearing lounge clothes, unlike Ichigo, who was at least wearing something fashionable. I gave him a death stare.

"How the hell do you _do_ that?" Ichigo choked out, frowning up at me from his crouched position. I ignored his question.

"What gives you the right to just come to my house and abduct me! And seriously, just, why!" I was so confused. Why the hell did he freaken _abduct _me? This is like a bad movie.

"Well, you asked me out yesterday," Ichigo smirked, standing up. I face palmed.

"I asked you out for _Ai_, you idiot!" I screamed, pacing back and forth on the sidewalk. Ichigo's face fell.

"Oh, come ON!" he yelled, kicking a streetlight and hissing in pain afterwards.

"Moron! Now my dad's gonna think I'm dating you! And I'm in enough trouble as is! I was this close to being off the hook!" I yanked on my hair, stomping the ground. The warmth in my stomach wasn't going away.

"And I had everything planned out! Your hair was gonna be orange for weeks!" Ichigo growled, biting his lip.

"Wait, you were going to dye my hair? How were you going to pull that off?" I asked, eyebrow raised.

"I had it all planned out, man. You were gonna be the laughingstock of the whole school," Ichigo said. I punched him in the arm. Hard. He stumbled back a few steps.

"Jerk!" I roared. I was about to punch him again when I noticed I had never put the bandage back on my hand.

"Whoa, what happened to your hand?" Ichigo asked, reaching for my hand.

"Don't touch me, asshole," I hissed, flinching away from him. My hand was bleeding again, and the bruises throbbed.

"Dude, that's serious. What happened?" he asked, looking seriously concerned.

"Apparently your head was a bit harder than expected. That, and a few other things," I mumbled. Yes, a few other things, including rocks, walls, and rock walls.

"Wow," was all Ichigo said. I hid my hand behind my back.

"Let's not talk about that," I said, trying to change the subject.

"It seems like there's a lot of things that you don't want to talk about," Ichigo commented. I looked at him.

"Yeah, and with good reason. You don't need to know about my personal life," I said bluntly.

"Maybe that's why you don't have any real friends. You won't open up to anyone," he stated. I hurled myself at him, getting up in his face.

"I just won't open up to_ you._ Don't you dare insult me," I boiled inside, feeling like kicking him into the next dimension, and crying at the same time. Because he was right. I didn't have any true friends. I clenched my fists, fighting back anger and tears.

"Leave," I stated in a commanding voice.

"No," Ichigo said. I closed my eyes, almost sure that I was going to cry.

"Ge-get away from me," I stuttered, a tear running down my face. I turned away from him, but I could feel his presence as he walked over to me and placed a hand on my shoulder. I shrugged it off.

"Leave! Ge-get out! NOW!" I screamed, my stomach burning, my hands felling like they were on fire.

I heard him walk away, and I slumped down on my knees, holding them to my chest and sobbing.

"I didn't mean it . . ." I heard him mumble as he walked away. I sobbed again, crying into my lounge pants. I don't know how long I sat there, alone, crying. I punched the pavement, making dents with my spirit force.

I didn't have any friends. Not any true friends. Tatsuki and Orihime . . . they were just pity friends. They looked at me with disdain, knowing that I had problems, wanting to help but not knowing they were hurting me with every pitying glance. I had never had one true friend. Never. My friends abandoned me in sixth grade. I'll never be able to find another person that I can confide in, that would know what to do no matter what I said, no matter what happens.

I stood up and wiped the tears from my face. I would never have any true friends. I would fend for myself. I would learn to be strong, defeat the ones holding me down, push Ai off her pedestal. I would rise to the top, the strongest, the one everyone looks up to. Then Mom and Dad would be proud of me. Urahara would be proud.

Tsubaki would be proud.

I walked home, wiping away tears and any doubt I ever had about becoming a Soul Reaper. I would do this. No matter what, I would learn to be strong and I would never be pushed around ever again.

**Mini Chapter 4:**

_In Ai's house . ._ .

Ai's Mom: Ai's been in her room for an extremely long time . . . .

Ai's Dad: Let's go check on her. *opens door to Ai's room* HOLY GUACAMOLE!

Both of Ai's parents continue to stare at the giant Ichigo shrine next to Ai's bed. It includes a full size poster, and about a million more candid photos of Ichigo. Also candles, incense and shrine-y stuff.

Ai: Dad! Mom! Um . . . it's not what it looks like? *is wearing traditional kimono and kneeling on a cushion. She was obviously worshipping the shrine . . .*

Ai's Mom and Dad: O.O *back away slowly*

_Yes, Ai's a stalker . . . Hide your Ichigos . . . ._

Hey guys! I hope you all like this story, and please, if you like it, or hate it, or even just read it, I would really appreciate feedback on this story. So please review, and critique!


	6. vol 6 Stronger

**Silver – Volume 6: Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)**

**(A/N- **Hello my readers! I've FINALLY gotten to the Espada Arc in Bleach (there was this one book that the library didn't have so I had to get in another _County_! Fuckin' stupid people that don't understand manga! Oh, and I also like the Espada arc because I take Spanish and can understand most of what they're saying! Yay!

Recap: last time Ichigo saw Gina cry, and Gina realized a few things that made her want to be a Soul Reaper even more. What's going to happen now?

Disclaimer: I don't own the songs Devil in Disguise by Elvis Presley, Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You) by Kelly Clarkson, or Disturbia by Rihanna. )

**Chapter 15: Devil in Disguise **

I woke up the next morning and stared at my ceiling, feeling like I should bang my head against a wall. Mom and Dad had believed that I wasn't dating Ichigo, thank god, but Mom decided not to shorten my punishment just in case. So I was confined to my house in the evenings for four more days. It was going to be so _boring_ . . .

I sighed and sat up, crawling out of bed to go do my morning routine, when a hand clamped over my mouth. I immediately went into action, elbowing the person in the gut and sweeping their feet out from under them. Then I turned around to get a good look at the person.

"Well, you're a lot tougher than you appear," Rukia stated, getting off the ground. I looked around. I was sure I had the window locked, and she couldn't have gotten in through the front door . . .

"Your parents forgot to lock the back door," Rukia seemed to read my mind. I frowned.

"Why the hell are you here? And why did you sneak up on me, you do go to my school, you could have knocked . . ." I stated. An "ooooh" expression seemed to appear on Rukia's face.

"Never mind that. I came here to ask you something. You can see ghosts, can't you?" Rukia asked. Because of all my bad luck lately, I immediately thought of the worst case scenario.

"Oh my god! Is Ai telling everyone? What did I do now? Did she tell you about my hair too, or-"

"No! Ai has nothing to do with this! And what's wrong with your hair? Do you have lice?" she took a step away from me. I rolled my eyes.

"No, I don't have lice. But if Ai didn't tell you, then who did?" I asked. Nobody knows accept for Urahara, and he only knows because of my spirit pressure . . .

"It's obvious once you take into account your rising spirit pressure. It may not be impossibly high for a human, but it is still abnormal," she stated. I started to piece together what she had said.

"So, you're a Soul Reaper, huh? I expected something more . . . flashy," I said, indicating her normal school uniform. Rukia scowled.

"Well, I'm a Soul Reaper who has lost her powers. I was hoping you would be able to help me regain them, or at least help me with the nuisance that took them from me. The jerk," Rukia spat. I processed what she said.

"So who in the – Ichigo," I face palmed, wondering why I didn't think of it sooner. He was the only one that reacted when Rukia showed up, so it has to be him.

Rukia nodded. "He took nearly all of my power, and he has to take on the duties of a Soul Reaper until I can regain my powers. It's stressful," Rukia said, rubbing her temples. I nodded knowingly.

"Yeah, having to deal with that twit is stressful any day of the week. Listen, I'm just learning how to use my powers, so I have no clue how to return yours to your body. But I might be able to help you with this 'duties of a Soul Reaper' thing if you'll tell me what they are," I stated.

"Ok! I'm glad you'll help me. But, what exactly can you do? Do you have a Zanpaku-Tô?" she asked.

"No, do you have one?"

"I don't at the moment, but Ichigo does."

"Aw man!" I threw my hands in the air. "Why does he get all the cool stuff? He probably doesn't even know how to use it!"

"Well, do you know how to use one?"

"No . . ."

Rukia smiled, chuckling a little. "So, what _can_ you do?"

"Eh, you know, when I get mad I can punch people through walls and shit. No biggie," I shrugged, feeling self conscious.

"Wow, you must be incredibly strong!" Rukia exclaimed. I shook my head.

"No, my spirit energy builds up in my core and I can direct it out of my body through my hands or my feet. It creates a more powerful punch with both the strength of the punch and the spirit energy pushing against the object of force. I'm still learning how to control it though. I'm almost to the point where I can use it when I'm not mad," I explained. Rukia nodded.

"Yes, I've seen a few Soul Reapers use that technique before, but they were much more powerful than you! You're not even a Soul Reaper!" Rukia exclaimed.

"Hey, I'm a Soul Reaper in training," I corrected. Rukia frowned.

"I don't think there is such a thing. You're not a Soul Reaper, or even a substitute Soul Reaper, without a spirit form and a Zanpaku-Tô. You're just a human," Rukia stated. I shook my head.

"No, no. I may not be a Soul Reaper just yet, but I'm on my way. And I hear this is the least painful way to become a Soul Reaper," I said. But inside, I was worried. What if Rukia's right and I'm really not a Soul Reaper? What if Urahara's wrong?

Rukia shrugged. "Whatever. So, you'll help me?"

"We're gonna be beating stuff up, right?" Rukia nodded.

"I'm in," I smirked. Rukia smiled.

"Good. I'll see you at school," she opened my window and jumped out. I waved to her as she ran down the street.

"I have such a weird life . . ." I mumbled, getting ready for school. I grabbed my bag and headed out the door.

So, Ichigo's a Soul Reaper. Or a substitute one at least. I can't believe it! This was so weird, my enemy, I guess? Has become a Soul Reaper before me? Ugh, he's a good fighter too. I wonder how he's fairing, fighting stuff on a daily basis. Having all that power without even having to work for it. I clenched my fists.

Why should I have to work so hard to become a Soul Reaper when he just steals the power of another Soul Reaper? Rukia doesn't even seem too mad about it. And he even has a Zanpaku-Tô? I don't even know when I'm supposed to get mine, or if I'll get one at all. He doesn't deserve those powers. Hell, he probably doesn't even want them. No one that gets powers in books wants them.

I walked into class, and Rukia waved at me from her seat. I walked over to her, ignoring the look Ichigo gave me as I walked past him and his friends.

"Hey, Rukia-san," I said, leaning on her desk.

"Hey. I'm not going to tell Ichigo that you're helping us yet. Or the fact that you stuff your bra," she said. I slammed my hand over her mouth.

"Don't say that so loud! And how did you know that?" I asked. I removed my hand from her mouth.

"Well, it wasn't stuffed when you woke up this morning, and now look at you," Rukia gestured to my chest. I scowled.

"Oh, shut up. And don't tell anyone. God, how many people are gonna know this stuff by the end of the year?" I shook my head. I really need to guard my secrets better. Just then, the bell rang.

I sat down at my seat, noticing that Ai wasn't here yet. Hm, I wonder what happened? Ai's almost never late; she's too worried about someone trying to pick up her current crush while she's not there.

I unpacked my bag, and stacked my books on my desk. I had almost found a pencil in the black hole I called my book bag, when I heard someone call my name.

"Hey, Gina!" I cringed.

"Ichigo, how many times have I told you not to call me Gina?" I asked, scowling at him. I was still pissed about his comment the night before, and the fact that he was a Soul Reaper. I was also a bit embarrassed because he had seen me cry.

He looked away from me, scratching the back of his head.

"I'm, uh, sorry about yesterday, OK? I didn't mean it," he said, sill not looking at me. I kept my expression neutral.

"No, it's not your fault. What you said was true. You just didn't have to say it. You think I didn't know that? That I have no friends?" I made sure my voice didn't wobble.

"No! It's just . . . I'm sorry, OK? I didn't want to hurt you," he said.

"Oh really? Then why were you going to humiliate me by taking me on a fake date, huh? Did you expect me to laugh and tell you 'oh Ichigo, you're so nice'?" I glared at him.

"Look, just forget it," Ichigo shook his head, walking back to his seat.

"Hey, Ichigo!" He turned around. "Make sure you go on that date with Ai. It'll make her happy," I said.

"Sure." He sat down just before Ochi-sensei walked into the classroom.

**Chapter 16: Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)**

The lunch bell rang, and I noticed Ai walking up to eat with the rest of us.

"Hey, why are you so late?" I asked. Ai shrugged.

"My parents think I'm nuts," she said.

"Let me guess, they found your shrine?" I raised an eyebrow. She punched me in the arm.

"If you mention that again, I will tell everyone about your shrine to Hello Kitty," she warned.

"Oh, come on, I was four!" I said. She rolled her eyes.

"Whatever. Go sit with your buddies, but stay away from my Ichigo!" she warned, sitting down next to a girl with glasses. I looked at the group she was hanging out with and noticed Orihime and Tatsuki were there as well. I was contemplating whether or not to sit with them when Rukia called me over.

"Shiori-san! Come eat with us!" she called, waving me over to her group. I walked over and pulled my water bottle from my lunch box, noticing Keigo, Mizuiro, and Ichigo were also standing with her.

"YAY! Another hot chick! I think I'm in heaven . . ." Keigo said, acting very dramatic. I rolled my eyes at him, taking a sip of my water.

"If you say something like that again, you're gonna end up like Ichigo," I warned, sloshing the water in my bottle around. Keigo gulped.

"Would you prefer I call you beautiful? Sexy? Cute? They all apply!" he stated. I narrowed my eyes.

"Call me cute and you're dead," I warned. Ichigo smirked.

"Oh, struck a nerve there, Gina-chan?" he asked. I punched him in the arm.

"Hey, that didn't hurt too much, are you feeling OK?" Ichigo asked. I rolled my eyes.

"No, idiot, I'm just not that mad right now," I said. Which is weird, because Ichigo is here . . .

"Hey, um, Shiori-san?" Rukia asked. I turned.

"How do you open a juice box?" she asked, looking confused. I face palmed. _I'm living in a world of idiots . . . ._

"You take the thingy and stick it in the other thingy," I said. Rukia frowned.

"Hm, that sounds a lot like the description of sex in this book I was reading . . ." I shivered inwardly. Just then, Chad walked up to our group, very battered, and carrying a cage with a bird in it.

"Whoa! Damn, what happened?" I asked.

"Chad! Dude, you're all bandaged up!" Keigo said, gesturing to Chad's treated wounds. Chad shrugged.

"It was nothing. A steel beam fell on my head. Then a motorcycle almost ran into me. But I'm fine," he said. I gaped.

"Dude, what is your body made of?" Ichigo asked. I nodded, still shocked. I mean . . . a steel beam? _And _a motorcycle? Is he _human_?

Chad set the birdcage down, and the others finally noticed it.

"Hey, a bird! Where'd you get that, Chad?" Keigo asked, crouching down to examine it. I moved next to him to get a better look. It was a cockatiel, a pretty one too, with pale white feathers.

"Hello, my name is Yuichi Shibata. It's nice to meet you! What's your name?" the bird said. My eyes got wide. That voice was not the voice of a normal bird. I didn't know what it was, but my spirit energy was acting strange. Ichigo and Rukia shared a look, a knowing look. Something was up. I walked over to Rukia slowly, not wanting the others to know that I thought something was up.

"That's amazing! I've never seen a bird that can talk this well! My name's Keigo Asano, can you say that? Huh?" Keigo spoke to the bird, sticking one of his fingers into the cage.

"Rukia-san . . . did you feel that too?" I whispered, still looking at the bird. Rukia gave a small nod.

"We can't talk about it here . . . I'll tell you later," she whispered back. We both continued to stare at the bird.

"Where did you get this bird, exactly?" Ichigo asked. He could tell something was off as well.

"Someone . . . . ."

. . .

. . .

"Gave him to me," Chad finished. Good god, could he have paused any longer?

"Chad! Don't cut you stories short! I wanna know how you got him! Chaaaaaaaaad!" Keigo whined. I wanted to know exactly who had given him the bird as well.

"I kinda want to know about the bird too," Mizuiro commented.

"That's all there is to it. Can I have some of that bread?" Chad asked Keigo. The three boys started to feed the bird.

"What . . ?" Ichigo said to himself, looking confused.

"There is . . . something in that bird. I can feel it," Rukia stated. I nodded. Ichigo seemed surprised that Rukia would include me in the conversation. Then again, he didn't know that I was a Soul Reaper in training.

"Should we be really be talking about this in front of Gina-chan here?" Ichigo frowned at me. I stuck my tongue out at him. Prick.

"It's OK, she's with me. I don't think that this bird is dangerous . . . yet. It's probably just a lonely soul trapped here, but it could turn into a hollow if we leave it. We should perform a Konso as soon as possible," Rukia stated. I scrunched my eyebrows together. What's a Konso?

"Rukia-san," I whispered. I could see Ichigo watching me and I didn't want him to know that he knew more than I did. Rukia leaned my way.

"Yes?"

"What's a Konso?"

"You don't know? It's a ceremony preformed by Soul Reapers in order to send souls on their way to the next life. Most go to the Soul Society, which most people would consider heaven, but some very evil souls are sent to Hell. I'm surprised that you're a Soul Reaper and you don't know this," Rukia stated.

"In training! I haven't been taught the terms yet, I'm just learning how to control myself so far," I admitted, shrugging. Rukia smiled.

"It's OK, I'll teach you! Oh wow, now I've got two people to train . . ." Rukia groaned, looking at Ichigo. I laughed.

"Yeah, and another frickin' Konso . . . I'm not gonna be sleeping tonight," Ichigo rolled his eyes. Rukia frowned at him.

"You know complaining never helped anyone," she scolded. I rolled my eyes at that one. It sounded like something Aunt Tsubaki would say.

"Yeah I know, gimme that," Ichigo popped the straw into Rukia's juice box and handed it to her. I took a sip of my water, watching the boys feed the bird.

"Ya know, I first met Chad in eighth grade," Ichigo said. "Used to get lots of attention because of my . . . unusual hair color." I looked away. I had the same problem.

"It wasn't the good kind of attention either. I was in this one big fight – there were at least eight guys, a few of them had knives, I remember one used brass knuckles." I cringed. All of that because of his hair color? Couldn't he just dye it and everything would stop?

"Why didn't you just dye your hair?" I asked. Ichigo looked at me like I was an idiot.

"Why would I do that? If I dye my hair, that means they win. I won't let them make me do something. That would just make me seem like a coward," he said, looking me in the eyes. I looked away. He was right, I was a coward. And even worse, I was still bullied even though I had complied. I wasn't as strong as Ichigo, who wouldn't give in to those bullies even though he would get into fights every day. All I got were people teasing me, and yet I was a wimp and complied.

I had to stop this. I had to stop hiding, and letting other people push me around. I would become strong, strong like a Soul Reaper, and even stronger than Ichigo. Yes, now I knew my one goal as a Soul Reaper – to beat Ichigo Kurosaki.

Ichigo continued to tell Rukia how Chad had gotten there just in time, and had taken the beating for him. Chad never fought back, ever. I was astounded. How could someone that tough be a pacifist? It just didn't make sense to me.

**Chapter 17: Disturbia**

After lunch, school passed without another major incident. Or maybe it just seemed that way. Rukia and I had talked about a Konso, and I had given her my house phone number in case she needed my help. I had taken her cell number as well. I was too worked up about all the questions I was going to ask Urahara that afternoon.

After school I basically ran home, not talking to anyone before I arrived at my house. I changed quickly into some workout clothes, and ran downstairs when the doorbell rang.

"Heeeeey!" Urahara greeted, just waltzing into my house without invitation. I rolled my eyes as he sat down on my couch. I sat down in the chair across from him, and he raised an eyebrow at me.

"What?"

"Don't you offer your guests tea?"

"Not when they storm right in without being invited. Bring your own stinkin' tea," I countered.

"Well fine then! I won't tell you what we're going to be learning about today!" Urahara sulked, turning away from me. I rolled my eyes and made him a cup of tea. Once I gave it to him, he smiled.

"Great! Today we will not be doing physical training because, well, we have no training area besides your puny backyard, which is not nearly enough room. So I will be teaching you about the rules of being a Soul Reaper."

"That's funny," I commented. "I was just going to ask you about that."

"Well, now you will have answers!" Urahara said. "First of all, Soul Reapers exist to send souls on to the next life. There are two types of deceased souls. The Plus souls, which are good and do not cause harm, and Hollows. Most of a Soul Reaper's work involves defeating Hollows with their Zanpaku-Tô. Hollows can harm mortals and the surrounding area, so they are our first priority. Then there are the Pluses. When sending Pluses on to the next world, you tap them with the hilt of your Zanpaku-Tô. This sets their soul free. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, I think so. So are Hollows just baddies or were they actual . . . people?" I asked. Urahara sighed, then smiled.

"You're smarter than you look. Yes, hollows used to be humans, but they have turned into something else. In other words, they aren't human anymore. By cleansing them with the Zanpaku-Tô, and killing them, their spirit is released and can move on to either the Soul Society or Hell," Urahara.

"So the Zanpaku-Tô doesn't actually kill the soul? It just cleanses it?" I asked again, just to make sure. Urahara nodded.

"Yes, it cleanses. It may seem a bit brutal, but once you see a Hollow yourself, you will understand."

Just then, the phone rang. I excused myself and answered the phone. It was just my mom checking up on me.

"Sorry about that. I'm grounded, remember?" I explained to Urahara.

"Yeah I remember you saying something about that. Don't know how that works, but whatever."

I smiled and was about to sit down when the phone rang again. My eyes widened. That couldn't have been my mom so . . . Rukia?

"Hello?" I answered the phone. Urahara grumbled something about impolite teenagers.

"Shiori-san? It's Rukia. Nothing dangerous has happened so far, but Chad's in the hospital. It looks like his wounds were caused by a Hollow. We can't detect it now, and Chad'll be safe with Ichigo, I just wanted to let you know."

"Thanks for letting me know. You sure you don't need any help?"

"No. I can't sense a Hollow, so it will wait until Chad is up and about before attacking again, so when it does, we'll be ready. Thank you for your concern, though."

"OK then, stay safe. And don't go around getting killed, you or Ichigo."

"Haha, I won't. 'Night"

"Good night."

I hung up the phone. It sounded like Chad was safe for now, but I was worried. I just hoped Ichigo and Rukia could handle themselves.

"Who was that?" Urahara asked, sipping his tea.

"Just a girl from school," I lied. Why did I lie? Why didn't I want Urahara to know that I had met a former Soul Reaper and her apprentice? I had no clue, but I couldn't go back on it now.

"Oh, speaking of that, how's it going with that Tatsuki chick?" Urahara asked. I shrugged.

"We're friends, I guess. What I really would like to know is if she's really the one that makes my spirit pressure rise like that," I stated. I really did think it was her, I just wanted to know for sure.

"Well, I would have to meet her. If your Soul Wavelengths interact with hers and increase your pressure, than its absolutely certain. I would be able to see your energy rise, that's how much your pressure is rising. Speaking of which, we should probably break the seal again. Your spirit energy is out of control!" Urahara added. I nodded.

I concentrated, clenching my fists and grinding my teeth. I thought about how much of a coward I was, and how much I wanted to change, how angry I was at myself for being such a wimp. I felt the heat build in my stomach until it was too much to bear and my palms burned. It was easier to call up my power this time. I had gained some control over it, and I was gradually beginning to suppress or call it up at will.

"Release!" Urahara commanded. I released my power and gathered it up again, this time surrounding myself with it instead of trapping it inside of me. If it was going to grow anyway, I might as well make it easier for myself.

"Good, good. You seem to have gained a bit of control. Perfect for our next exercise! There is a low level Hollow a few streets away, undetectable to any other Soul Reapers in the area. You will defeat it, and then we will return here for a lesson on Zanpaku-Tôs," Urahara stated. My jaw dropped. A Hollow? _Now_?

"My mom will call in an hour. How long will it take for me to defeat this Hollow? And is it safe?" I asked. Urahara laughed.

"Is it safe? Hah! You're fighting a Hollow, sweetie, of course it's not safe!"

"Not for me, you idiot! For the civilians! Will anyone get hurt?" I asked, worried. This was completely careless! What if people got involved?

"Not if we get there soon! C'mon!" Urahara yelled, jumping out of his seat and running out the door. I threw my hands in the air and made a frustrated noise.

I grabbed a stack of bandages and began to wrap up my hand as I followed Urahara into the street. Damn, he was fast, it took all my speed just to keep up with him. Then again, I was never really fast. I went for strength and agility, not speed.

We rounded a corner near the edge of the city, and I saw a small park. It was dark, and the park was deserted except for one thing, a monster, an abomination.

It was twice the size of me, with a terrible hole in its chest. The Hollow roared when it saw me, opening wide jaws full of yellow teeth.

"Urahara . . . if I don't have a Zanpaku-Tô, how can I even hope to defeat this thing?" I asked. I was scared. This thing looked fierce and inhuman. I had no clue how I could even hope to defeat it.

"I have something for that. Just don't ask me how I got it," Urahara tossed me a small pocket knife with a burning skull on it.

"This? This puny piece of shit is my Zanpaku-Tô?" I yelled. How the hell was I supposed to beat a Hollow with that?

"Deal the killing blow with that. After you beat it up, stick the blade in its head. I had it made just for you, until we find out if you will wield a Zanpaku-Tô or not." Urahara explained. The Hollow screeched again. I was going to have to do it.

I stuck the pocketknife in my pants pocket and wiped my unbandaged hand on my pants. I was sweating heavily and breathing hard from the run over here. I could feel my legs shaking slightly. I was scared, but ready.

The Hollow charged me then, I barely had time to react. I used my spirit energy to jump high off the ground, and watched it run past the ground under me. I landed and landed a punch on its back, while it was still disoriented. The Hollow turned around and hit me with one of its large hands. I flew into the trunk of a tree, hitting it so hard my teeth rattled. I got up as it charged me again, planning to run me down.

I couldn't move in time, I knew that. I planted my feet, and just when the Hollow was about to mow me down, I punched it square in the face. It flew at least twenty feet away from me, and landed in a crater. I ran to the crater, jumping on top of the Hollow and pulling out my Pocket-Zanpaku. I opened it and stuck it in the Hollow's head, causing it to erupt into black dust. I landed in the bottom of the hole, breathing heavily. I had been so scared throughout the whole fight. I was surprised when Urahara started to clap.

"Very good! You did much better than I expected you to! I had my bets on twenty minutes until you could beat him, but no! It only took you three to beat the lowest degree of Hollow there is. Good show! Now-"

I threw a rock and hit Urahara in the head with it. I walked out of the crater, my whole body shaking from fear.

"Do you have any idea what you did! I wish you would have at least given me a warning of some kind instead of just 'hey Shiori we're gonna fight a Hollow now!' god!" I raged, walking towards my house. Urahara followed me.

"I didn't know this had shaken you up so much!" Urahara commented. I growled.

"My hand is bleeding again. Thanks a lot, ass." I said when I got to my house, slamming the door on Urahara's face. I didn't care about his lesson on Zanpaku-Tôs right now, I was too angry at that bastard.

I decided to go to bed early. Little did I know, I would really need that extra sleep.

**Character Profile 2**

Name: Ai Takuma

Age: 15

Hair Color: Black

Eye Color: brown. She wears blue contacts.

Height: 5'2"

Weight: What! A lady doesn't give out her weight! (less than 100lbs)

Cup Size: C. Naturally.

Occupation: High School Student. Soon to be fashion model.

Theme Song: Only Girl (In the World) by Rihanna. Her OST is Love Love Nightmare by Hatsune Miku. (Get it? Because Ai means love in Japanese? You know what, forget I even said anything)

Author's Comments: I like Ai. A lot. Even more than Gina! I plan on giving her a bigger part in the story as it progresses, but the story_ is_ in Gina's point of view, so we'll probably never know her whole story. Oh well. She's a bit of a lazy bully, she chases guys more often than she makes fun of Gina. She's a bit of a spoiled brat with a huge crush on Ichigo. Originally it was just going to be a small crush, but characters get away with themselves! Eheh? She's probably more like me than Gina, and that's not really a good thing, is it? Oh well!

**Thank you for reading! And please, if you like the story and have favorited it or set it to your story alerts, or even if you are a new reader, I would really appreciate reviews and critiques! I want to know how I'm doing and if anybody actually likes this story. Thanks for your time!**


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